Angel War
by AJ-Writer
Summary: Three years after the Human Instrumentality was averted, Ikari Shinji lived, trapped in his own personal Hell called his own mind. When he finally wakes up, he had to ride the Ultimate weapon again. This time, it's open war. ooc abound. chpt 2 up!
1. Ikari Shinji

OCC Shinji, unedited, first time writing MOSTLY first person Point of view story. So grammar mistakes may be abound. Set 3 years after the End of Evangelion. Long chapter. Prepare for a lot of readings.

Edited with some minor changes.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"BAKA NO SHINJIII!!"

Ikari Shinji woke up as his girlfriend, Souryuu Asuka Langley, a quarter Japanese-three quarter German, hot tempered and redheaded girl screamed at him from the front gate of his house.

Within a record time of 3 minutes, he dressed up, pick up his bag, swallow a whole toast in one gulp, and meet her right on the front door. And there she was, standing in all her glory, her blue eyes blazing at him like a beast staring at her prey.

"Errhh…"

"15 MINUTES! YOU MADE ME STANDING HERE FOR 15 GODDAMN MINUTES! DO YOU WANNA GO TO SCHOOL OR NOT!"

"To be brutally honest? No. Do you?"

Asuka thought for a moment… and then answered with a smile. "To be brutally honest? No."

The two lovebirds chuckled like mad. "So… where do you wanna go?"

"I don't know. You tell me!"

"Arghh… I don't actually have any plan on where to go…"

"What kind of boyfriend are you?"

"Well… the one you fell in love with?"

"Shut up. I'm breaking up with you. Can I break up with you?"

"Well… Not anymore. You broke up with me at least twice a day. I lost count on how many times you-mmmmh…"

Her lips glued on his. Her tongue slithered into his mouth, playing with his. 10 seconds of foreplay, and they both let go, catching their breath. "And I've lost count on how many times you've 'managed' to get me back."

"Well… I… Well… I just can't lose without a 'fight' now can I?"

She smiled seductively. "Come here."

She grabbed Shinji's hand and literally dragged him halfway across town, straight to the red light district.

In a hotel…

"Ah… Ah… AAAH… Shinji… Shinji… AH!" Asuka was moaning without a care of the world as Shinji humping her from behind, doggy style. "Harder… harder… AAAH!"

Their clothes loitering everywhere, and lovejuices from both lovers are splattered allover their naked body and on the bed.

"Ah… Ah… AAAARRRGH!" Shinji raised her girlfriend and have her facing the window. Asuka's breast pressed to the surface, smothering it with lovejuice splattered on her breast and saliva pouring from her gaping, smiling mouth. "Harder! HARDER! Ah! AH! AAAAAAAAAH!"

Haa… Haa…" The boy's hip movement is getting faster and faster and then, with one final thrust, he unloaded his semen for the umpteenth time into her womb. Shinji heaves and wheezed. He fell and let his head rest right next to Asuka's.

"Hey… that's not fair… you came by yourself!"

"I came for the third time in 45 minutes. Give me a break, you too came 5 times."

"Yeah… and my target was to come at least twice that number."

"Ooohh…" The boy fell down to the floor. "Give me a break girl."

"Shut up. Punishment time." This time, she's the one on top. The redhead started by sucking his manhood.

"You know… if you noticed… we've been doing this every day for a week… yesterday we even do it at school!"

"Slurp… ah… You started it."

"What's the big idea wearing that goddamn undersized swimsuit right in front of me? That's just criminal!"

"Shut up!" She kissed him again as her hand massaging Shinji's already erect manhood. Once she measure it was hard enough, she placed it right in front of her trickling vagina, and then slid it in. And as the two lovers going at in, again, and again, and again…

…I watch them right next to them, and they don't even have a clue.

I've watched myself fucking Asuka at least once, every day, for a week. And I don't feel aroused. At all. Not one bit. Hm. I wonder why.

**Prologue 1:**

**Ikari Shinji**

Maybe, because after the instrumentality, I was choking that girl 'I' was humping right now.

Or, there's simply something's wrong with me, and that I have an erectile dysfunction.

Or, maybe because I watched this before, in some other lifetimes.

One of many other alternative lifetimes I've seen.

All the grim possibilities, I was hoping it was the first. But my fear told me, it was the second. Funny thing is: reality had a brutal, but effective way of blowing all that worry and all that hope away. My mind keeps telling me it's because of the third. I've seen this scene, probably a millionth time, in some other lifetime.

After I rejected Instrumentality and somewhat reversed Armageddon, I found myself on a beach, with Asuka next to me. The first ingenious idea I can think of, is choking the only partner I have, and endure a possible eternal solitary life. Hmph. Gee… real smart move you Mr. Mental Breakdown.

Luckily, I did stop… and then I lost consciousness… probably on her lap. And then, I'm here. In this… well… I'm not sure what this is.

I suppose a cycle of nightmare that refused to end, and repeated itself over and over and over again, is a good way to describe it.

I watched myself, from a third person perspective, living a life that I wanted to be. I watched myself living a lifetime in an alternate possibilities of never-ending cycle. A world created by my mind. A lifetime long puppet show, and the people I know is the character, and I'm puppeteer and the only spectator. I can alter the way 'I' will live my life. Choices, that 'I' in that lifetime, will and can make, creating an infinite possibilities of worlds. And then there's the fact I can also determine how others will act or react.

The first lifetime I saw… or I wished for, was a lifetime where I lived a normal live. I go to a normal school. I befriended my friends. Asuka was my neighbor and my childhood friend, and she also had a crush on me. Ayanami Rei was my cousin. Asuka and I became a couple, we married when we're of age, and we lived happily ever after, until the day we die. End of story.

If only… it was that simple.

That lifetime end… only to have another lifetime took its place, with another different possibility. And then when that lifetime end, another followed, and another, and another, and so forth, and so forth. In each lifetime, I can affect the way things will happen. I'm the lord of this universe and my word is the commandment.

Sounds fun?

Well, hate to break it up, but let me tell you: it is hell. Or just a little piece of it, reserved by Satan just for me.

Watching your lifetime flashes before you over and over again has a funny way screwing up your psyche. You can affect the way things are, but you can't do any other damn thing once it unfolds. It gets worse when you can explore the possibilities. I can make 'myself' do whatever I've failed to do in real life. I can make people do what they don't do in real life. Even the most unrealistic ones. In one lifetime I once made myself fucked Asuka over and over for weeks until she's screaming for mercy-and she still loved me back after that. I even once-or several times I think-couldn't keep track; made myself a girl, and I watched myself getting raped by a bunch of thugs. In one other lifetime I was a psychopath who burned my parents when I was ten. I never know how sick something is until you see it yourself.

But the worst of it all? Is to make myself do things that I could've or should've done in the real world. And this is where my real hell begins. It began as an experiment on one lifetime, where I dare myself to imagine what if Angel still appeared. What if I did everything right. What if this, what if that, what if, what if…

There. That's the switch: What if.

My mind keeps shoving these what-if scenarios. But, like I said before, reality had a way to crush all that wishful thinking. What if… turn into If-Only. If only I had done this, if only I had done that, if only I was this, if only I was that. All that possibility of what could've been and what should've been rolling pass me with every lifetime, colliding with the memories of the reality I had lived in.

And there's another lifetime, and another, and another…

Each lifetime passed… and it kept repeating for what seem to be an eternity. Watching your ideal life unfold from the sideline as 'you' of that lifetime played them up for you, while the real you are perpetually burdened by the facts of your own fucked up screwed life? And watching it infinite times to boot? It's a wonder how on earth-if there's any earth left- I didn't go insane.

Or maybe I'm already insane.

Or, maybe in this world they don't want me to go insane. This world wants me to stay sane, so I can watch as I wire-pulled my life and screw them in every lifetime. Here's a little demonstration.

"!!" Asuka screamed her lungs out as she came. Her juice sprayed allover 'my' dick. I watched 'myself' smiling in satisfaction.

I mutter quietly. "Just shoot everybody…"

And then, just like that, the 'me' of this lifetime suddenly pulled out a gun, pushed Asuka to her back, shove the gun on her vagina and pull the trigger. And then 'I' start on a shooting rampage, killing everyone.

"Cops will arrive…" I mutter again.

Hordes and hordes of cop surrounded the 'me' and who was still holding the gun on his hand.

"Just shoot yourself and get this over with."

'I' aimed the gun at my own head, and bang goes the grey matter.

"And here comes the new lifetime…"

The sound of crying of a baby pierced the medical ward of NERV facility. I watched my mother smiled happily and my father smiled in relief from a window. Ikari Yui held 'me' in her arms and giving 'me' breast milk. Funny. I never remembered how they tasted and here I am watching my mother giving them to 'me'. "So… how should I screw myself in this lifetime?"

"Now, now. Don't to be too hasty."

I looked at mother… and found she was staring right at me. Did she just say that to me? And then she turned back to 'me' in her arms. Just then, my Father rushed past through me to my mother.

"It's a boy. What should we call him?"

"Just like you said. If it's a girl, we named her Rei, if it's a boy…"

"Shinji. Ikari… Shinji."

Of all the parts of my life I screwed up in every lifetime, this is one part I've screwed less. Sure, locations changed. But the events are untouched. While funny is that I never actually had any recollection of how they named me when I was just born but… maybe subconsciously I do heard what they said when I was baby. For some reason… or another… I suddenly decided to keep this one lifetime… unscrewed. So I begin re-imagining things, back from the start in its original lifetimes. Probably a little reminder, a harsh call of reality to my own failing psyche.

In a blink of an eye, 'I' was 3, watching my mother disappear on the cockpit of Eva-01.

Another blink of an eye, and 'I' was 7, when my father left me.

Another blink of an eye, and then there 'I' was. Standing idiotically in the theatre of battle when an Angel came. Third Angel, Sachiel. That's what they call it. And then, Eva-01 appeared, futilely trying to fight it. Got beat back. In a short order, 'I' was in the cage, watching myself moaning like crybaby that 'I' was, and then, after watching an injured Ayanami being forced to get up, being the gentlemen that 'I' was, 'I' volunteered. And then… here goes the show.

Sachiel broke Eva-01's left arm and then grab hold of its horned head. The spike on his elbow began sliding in and out as the Angel's hand send a series of energy bursts which were thumping the purple-green Eva's right eye. After sufficient amount of blows, one burst of energy finally went through the Eva's head, sending him flying to a building. Blood burst out from the Eva's eyes. I watched, bored out of my skull, as I've known the outcome of this match. "And then mom goes berserk, save my skin, and beat the crap out of him."

Funny thing is? She didn't. The Eva remained still. I found myself, for the first time in God knows how long, curious. And then, all the sudden, I found that angel staring at me. Is it another coincidence or…

The fact that the supposedly gigantic Angel shrinks to my size (or I grow to his size) further irked my curiosity. And then, to top it all… it grabbed my face. Back then… I would scare the shit out of me. But now… I found myself interested. "What now?"

And then, the spike on his elbow extend. A preparation for his signature attack. I smiled even further. "Oh great. This is interesting." I grabbed the Angel's arm and positioned his four long fingered palm hole so that the attack will hit me right in between my eyes. "Come on. Do it."

And as the spike sink in, the blast came and hit me full. The impact sent me flying. And it hurts like hell. And all the sudden, I jerked up and saw Eva-01 went berserk, destroying Sachiel. '…now… what… was that? Just now?'

'…was I… imagining things? Or… that's new…' Back then I would be pissing in my pants when something like that thump on my head. To think that just now, I made it aim at my head. I must be getting insane. At last. For some reason, I suddenly let this lifetime to go exactly how it was like the original. And I kept watching, half hoping, that something like that will happen. The fight with Shamshel, Ramiel, Gaghiel, all other angels. Nothing weird happen. And then came Zeruel, I sort of lost patience. So I try to alter this one. I altered it so Asuka won the first encounter. Nothing happened. And then enter Tabris/Kaworu, the Mass Produced Evangelion, and finally the third impact. The end. 'I' died… And then restart again.

This time, I tried to narrow my changes. I narrow it to the first angel that made the difference, Sachiel. No dice. So I killed 'myself', and then try again. I keep repeating that event probably a few dozen times. The fervor of wanting something that is completely out my control keeps me going. And I keep repeating that one part of my life. Until finally…

Eva-01 was slammed to a building for the nth time. Blood burst out from his head. I brave myself to do not let the Eva-01 not to go berserk. And then, I wait and see. But the angel simply destroyed the Eva-01 remains and move on. I sighed. Maybe it was just me. Maybe it was just a subconscious wishful thinking from my end. I restart my whole life again. And silently watched. I guess this is it. This is my new reality. I had to deal with it. Time to start screwing up my own lifetime again.

'We're coming for you.'

Or not. I jerked as that voice whisper directly into my head. What the hell was that? Another subconsciously wished occurrence? Or my hallucination? Or, at last, I have gone mad? And then as I watch myself being born in the medical ward of a general hospital, 'they' appeared. They're all white. Bright white and two black holes that serve like eyes staring at me. 7 of them in total. I narrow my eyes. What's this? I've never imagine anything like this? I wish them to disappear, they did not. Instead they come at me. Ignoring the crying three old 'me' as they walk. One of them outstretched their pearly hands and grabbed my wrist. At this, I am, for the first time ever, shocked. First because this is the first time anything in this world had actually made contact with me. The second thing is that the moment they touch me, a flood of emotion suddenly burst into my mind. Or to be more precise, robbed of me. When those pearly white creatures touched me, it was as if a part of me was sucked right into them.

And I don't like it. At all.

Suddenly, the feeling of constant boredom just disappear, and like reigniting a flame, emotions that I once thought had disappeared, resurface once more. And much to my contempt, it was fear. And so I ran past my 9 year old self playing with a 9 year old Toji and rush away. Those white beings chased after me and boy, were they fast!

'Come back!'

Fancy that. One of them spoke. If only the tone weren't so horrifying. I kept running and running. And then I watched as one by one, they disappeared. "…w… what's the big idea?" I rest my hand on a wall to support my body. I looked to the wall and found it's not a wall; it was Zeruel being eaten by Eva-01. "Oh hell… Bon Appétit." I walk away calmly.

When I asked something out of my control, whatever those white creatures are, they fulfilled that request all out.

Suddenly screwing my own life no longer matters anymore. The first white creatures I ran away from shown that they are not affected by their surroundings. So I can only run.

'We're coming for you Shinji.'

Well… what do you know… they know my name. This voice echoing in my head apparently herald the arrival of those white creatures. The next batch appear shortly after 'I' killed Tabris, and they run after me, walking on thin air as they did so.

"Okay…" I ran again. But then, suddenly, another batch coming at me from the front. Damn. They're smart and their numbers seem doubled. A Mass Produced Eva in a crucifix position suddenly fell in between me and them. Lucky me. And I ran to another direction. What do they want with me?

'We're not leaving until we get you, Shinji!'

Oh. So they want me in a literal sense. Riiight. All the sudden, three more of those pearly creatures appeared in front of and others covered my back. For a moment I thought of cowering in fear as they outstretched their skeletal hand at me. But then, the memory of how it felt when they touched me rushed back in, and suddenly I found their presence unwelcome. I think the history teacher in my school once told me about it. The basic principle of human aggression:

Civis pacem parabellum.

Want peace, ready for war.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!" Letting out a roar I never thought I had, I jumped right at one of them. I grabbed the creature's neck and squeezed hard. The creature's head popped off its shoulder. Another come at me from the back and I thrust my hand as hard as I can to its chest. My fist bust through it like wet tissue. Then I realize that the sensation does not occur when the act comes from me. Good for me, bad for them. And so I start rampaging among them. I found them to be extremely fragile. One punch from someone like me can actually break one to pieces. But then again, this is my world. In here, I'm God. I destroyed another three of these creatures without much of a problem and the other ones seemingly terrified since they paused. And then, one by one they disappear. I smiled in satisfaction. The excitement. I haven't felt that sensation for the longest time. So I kinda understand when a part of me was a bit unwilling to let those white creatures to just disappear.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" I laughed and rest my back on the ground. No, wait. This is not a ground, it's an N2 mine ready to explode. I looked up and saw the twins: the Israfels looming over me. "Oh… hell."

The blast literally went through me and burned the angels off. I walked out of the blast unscathed and saw 01 and 02, both in their respective pathetic position: one on the sea, one on the ground. Both sank upside down with their legs jutting out.

"I wonder what's next though."

Several lifetimes later, I got my answer.

I was watching 'myself' pounding at Sachiel when the voices echoing in my head again. Louder and stronger than before.

'We're coming now Shinji! We ain't gonna leave till we get you back! Hang in there! But for the love of God don't fight it!'

"Don't fight it… yeah right." I cracked my knuckles as those white creatures appeared before me again. The voices continue to boom in my ears and those white creatures are coming. Seeing their numbers, I can already tell, this time it's their final push. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" I charged at them, yelling as I did so to drown that maddening booming voice in my head. I destroyed every single one in arm's reach, but their number soon overwhelmed me. Three of them grab hold of my back and that sensation of being taken piece by piece flooded my nerves. "LET GO OF ME!" I struggled and spin around, breaking free and nailing a few more of them as I did so.

'Don't fight it, Shinji! We're trying to help you!'

"Look, I'm all for conversation, but will you please shut up for one second!?" One of them hugged me from behind while another two actually stabbed me on the stomach. And again I felt more and more of me was taken away. I roared, broke free, and then proceed to destroy the last of them. One of them was raising its hand, begging to stop, but I clenched my fist, raising it, but then something, or someone grab me. I looked and gasped. The 01, who had shrunk to my size, grab hold of me. "Oh great, not now!" I tossed her away towards the white creature. And my knees chose that time to gave up on me. And then I realized the full extent of the damage these white creatures had done. I looked at my hand and realized it was transparent. I felt, quite literally, thin. T…They're killing me! One piece at a time they're taking me away!

A few lifetimes ago, suicide as an escape of this maddening hell did sound like a good idea. But now, in the face of this kind of death… I suddenly found myself very much want to be alive.

"S…Someone… H… Help…"

'We're almost there! Just one more push!' The voice in my head grew more desperate.

And then, all the sudden, another white being came before me. This time, unlike the beastly appearances of the others creatures, this one quickly take a form of a woman.

"…Ikari-kun."

I gasped. Other than Asuka, I also envisioned many versions of her. As a sister, as a girlfriend, as a close friend, as an enemy, as many things.

"A…Ayanami?"

A pure white Ayanami Rei was staring at me. And then, suddenly, the memory of that gigantic Rei during the third impact came into my mind, and the first act I did was screaming in terror.

"!!!"

'WE'RE LOSING HIM! WE'RE LOSING HIM! REI! WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, YOU BETTER DO IT NOW!'

I tried to run but suddenly, Sachiel and 01 grab hold of me. I was too scared to even fight back. Like silvery ghost, she glided over me, cupped her pearly hands on my cheek, and then her lips meet mine. And then, I finally gave up and watched, slowly, as my body disintegrates and everything went black. The last thing I heard before everything became black was the last boom in my head:

'We got you buddy. We got you now. Welcome back.'

**000000000000**

Ayanami Rei rose up from her chamber as she quickly ran towards the medical bay, housing a certain Eva pilot. "How is he?"

"He's fine. He just needs rest now. He hasn't been using his body for three years ever since we found him on that beach." Maya Ibuki replied.

"But he'll be alright… right?" A relatively large teenager wearing a black plug suit asked. His legs were supported with mechanical implants.

"I can't guarantee that, Suzuhara-san. We just peeked into what happened inside his head. Body wise, he'll be fine. But his mind… well… that's a different story altogether."

Touji Suzuhara banged the wall. "God damn it all… what the hell was that thing we saw in his head?"

"I believe that's his mind. I think he has been re-imagining his life over and over again in different alternatives." Rei replied in her usual monotone voice.

"Well… I can guess that. What I'm saying is that, he's been like that for three fucking years!?" Toji roared. "His life was already that fucked up and you're telling me he's been reliving something like that over and over?"

"Touji-kun…" His girlfriend, Hikari Horaki clasped her hand beneath her waist and bowed down in concern.

Just then the intercom rang. "What is it?"

"_Commander Ayanami, your presence is requested on the bridge immediately."_

Rei knew exactly who called her and why. "Hai. I'll be right there." The blue haired girl, now 17 years old, supported a commander suit, reminiscent to the clothes once worn by the father of the Eva Pilot lying in bed in front of her. She threw one last look at the unconscious Shinji and then walks out.

Moments later, Ayanami Rei was brought before a podium. Sitting on top, were three generals of the JSSDF-or what's left of it. And then, standing next to Rei in support, was none other than Misato Katsuragi, supporting a subcommander clothing.

"Commander Ayanami Rei, please step forward." One of the general started.

The Commander complied.

"Osaka was attacked last night. 10% of the facility was destroyed."

Rei waited for the next statement, though she already knew what came next.

"Well? Don't you feel anything at all?"

"…Generals, are you questioning my decision of repositioning the Angellion Bane and its pilot, Toji Suzuhara here on Tokyo-4? Osaka is a strategic military position and has sufficient resources to afford such losses. Tokyo-4 on the other hand is a bit undermanned at the moment and as you well aware, my personal Angellion, the Rook, is currently being repaired."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind!?"

"I'm speaking in an objective sense. And there's also the fact the new Angellion had just been completed. The Fallen will surely try to-"

One of the generals, the calmer of the two cuts in. "Commander Ayanami. Let's stop beating around the bush. This man, we know you've been on his case for your entire military career of three years after the Third Impact. This recently awoke comatose patient. You sent dozens of people to Hospital just to wake him up."

"No. He had indeed been comatose for 3 years. However it wasn't until the newest Angellion was first activated three weeks ago, he started showing signs of trying to wake up. For the next three weeks, the Angellion continue to receive brainwave pattern from this man. Because of this, we dare the attempt to wake him up directly via mind interface."

"Your point being?"

"I do not believe in coincidence. Sir."

Another general asked. "Who is he?"

Rei allow herself a small, almost unnoticeable smile. "He's the same as me and Toji Suzuhara. He's the Third child, pilot of Eva-01… and quite possibly, the pilot for our newest Angellion, The Spear. And if you're asking why Touji, Touji and the Third Child were close friends. I figure he can help speed up the Third's recovery."

The generals looked at each other and began talking among themselves.

Misato whispered in Rei's ear. 'Oi, so he finally woke up?'

'Physically.'

'But his mind is another story?'

After a while, the commander finished their discussion. "I recall." The center General started. "You disregard our summoning several times before to focus on this person's this… former Eva Pilot's case. Seeing you answer our call in this occasion… does this mean, that man's case is over?"

"He's awake from coma… and presently under intensive care on the medical ward."

"Very well. We would like you to reassign Toji Suzuhara and the Bane back to his post in Osaka as soon as he is no longer needed. That is all." The generals rose up, preparing to leave. Before the center general leave though. "And… Commander Ayanami?"

"Yes, General Fuyutsuki?"

Now general of the UN army of Japan branch, Kozo Fuyutsuki sighed. "On a more personal note, I dearly hope for your sake, this effort of yours worth someone, somewhere, something. We're quite stretched thin as it were with the Fallens continue attacking us in every corner of the globe."

"Yes sir. I hope so too, sir."

**000000000000**

The first feeling my sense of touch administered after countless lifetimes of not feeling anything was a pleasantly warm bed. If only my smell sense can experienced similar sensation, for the first scent I caught was blood and medicine. I tried to open my eyes, but to my chagrin, I cannot. Were my eyelids were always this heavy? Not just my eyelids. My whole body felt like they're layered in led. My effort clearly shown on my exterior as a firm hand rested on my chest and a voice spoke to me for the first time since many lifetimes.

"Hold still, Ikari-kun. We're not exactly done yet." A girl voice replied.

This voice. It's rather familiar. And I tried to speak. "C…" Apparently my mouth had a little trouble functioning as well.

"Eh?" The voice show a tone of being startled.

I muster every effort I can get to open my mouth. This is the first time someone actually spoke to me and I intend to respond properly. "Cl… Cccclass…r… r-r-rrrep…"

No reply. Since my eyes were shut I couldn't see her expression, but the sound of clattering steel signify something had fallen. I realized the silence is a reply came of shock, and so I mustered every effort and let out a voice as audible as I can. "Class…rep…"

There's no mistaking it. That voice is Hikari Horaki. My class rep.

"Ikari-kun! Ikari-kun! Y… You're awake!? Y… You're listening right now right!?"

Judging by how her voice breaking up, she must be in tears. "…y…yuh…"

"TOUJI-KUN!! TOUJI-KUN!! COME HERE QUICK! IKARI-KUN! IKARI-KUN…!"

"WHAT? What happened? Hikari? What happened to Shinji?"

I heard the sound of running and a door slammed open. It took me some time to administer the name Hikari had been yelling out: my best friend that I nearly killed, Touji Suzuhara.

"Shinji? Ikari Shinji! It's me, Touji! If you can hear me, please say something, anything!?"

I mustered a single "Yuh."

And someone just turn up the volume cause the next thing I heard was a very loud cheer exploding from Toji mixed in with class rep's crying. And then I heard a lot more footsteps and people coming in. I heard Hikari tried in-between her tears, explained that I responded to her calls.

And then, another voice came in, and I would've jumped in excitement if I could. "Shin-chan? Can you hear me? This is Misato."

"Mifaooo…" I vainly tried to even mumble her name, but no coherent word came out.

"Look, it's alright. You can't move right now because you haven't been using your body for three years. We'll patch you up in a jiffy. I'm sure you have a lot of questions in your mind right now, but we'll get to that. I promise."

Three years. Wow. I went through countless alternative lifetimes in three years. Wait. Three years? Then, what happened to the Third Impact? Was it all just a dream? The realization made me mumble again. I was trying to ask questions, but I realized it will have to wait. So I muttered: "Yuh."

"Attaboy."

Hours later…

I woke up in a bed, staring at a dirty ceiling, reminiscent to my own room. I dearly hoped this is not another imaginary lifetime. And then I realized my whole body felt quite light, unlike before. I raised my arm and start flexing my fingers. I never knew I was this pale. And then I noticed an IV cable linked to my arm. I pulled it out and look around. This is definitely not NERV. On second thought, I don't think NERV still exist at all after what they've done to the planet. Which brings me to the second question, if the third impact did happen, how come I'm still here?

Just then, the door behind me opened up. I turned around and saw the startled yet happy Maya Ibuki. "Ibuki-san?" This marked the first of many first times I will experience after –what they said- three years long imprisonment in my own world.

"Shinji-kun! You're awake!"

"Ibuki-san… Wh…Where am I?"

"You're in Tokyo general hospital. Or at least, formerly, it was Tokyo General Hospital."

"Formerly?" I frowned at the choice of words.

"Well… a lot has happened since… the third impact was averted."

"Wait a minute… averted? I thought I caused it?"

"You did… but… what was it that General Fuyutsuki said… oh yes… you rejected instrumentality so most humans reverted back from being LCL."

"Including… you?"

"…yeah… including me. But… well… not everyone."

"What do you mean?"

"Those who were already dead before they turn to LCL… they don't come back."

She looks pretty sad as she said it. Someone important to her must've died. "Erhh… I… I'm sorry."

"Ah it's alright. Well, first thing first. Ikari-kun, are you hungry? We've been feeding you nothing but intravenous drip for three years."

And my stomach answered that.

"We'll fetch you something."

"Wait, before you do that, could you please explain what is going on, and what have I missed in 3 years?"

"I would love to answer that… but there are people better suited for the job."

And with that, she left. I ruffled my hair. And then I realized they've grown pretty long-long enough to cover my face and my back. Of course they are. I didn't get a single haircut for three years. And then I heard footsteps. Lots of them. Hikari, Aida Kensuke, followed by the remaining two of the former NERV employee trio, Shigeru Aoba, Makoto Hyuga. My eyes widened as they all suddenly jumped at me. "WAAAAAAAAARGH!!"

Having two teenagers and two full grown men piling on me is not exactly a fun experience, but I found myself smiling. It hurts. I can feel their masses. The warmth of their bodies piling on me. I'm back. This isn't just some world in my head anymore. This is real. The real deal. These people, I've watched them repetitively in the lifetime loop, but never for once they communicate with the real me. And then, when I'm finally back, their faces are definitely on the top on the list of people I want to see and getting piled on.

"Ikari-kun! Ikari-kun! This is really you right!? You speak, you're hearing me! Right? RIGHT?"

"Y… yeah…" after three years speaking to myself… speaking to someone does felt good.

"SHINJI-KUUN!! I'M REALLY GLAD YOU'RE BACK!!!" Kensuke got waterfall literally streaming from his eyes.

"Yeah… glad to be back too." I looked at Hikari and Kensuke. They both grow taller. Hikari still have her hair on pigtails. Kensuke had some of his hair cut, and he's wearing a military gear. Well, as I remembered it, he was a military otaku. So I'm not that surprised. Nice to see some things haven't changed. But… others do change. So. "I hate to break the good mood… but which one of you is going to fill me in on what I've missed?"

"We will." I looked at the speaker and my heart leapt. Both in fear and in happiness.

There standing on the door, my source of joyful heartleapt: Misato Katsuragi, my former guardian.

Next to her, my source of both joyful and horrified heartleapt: Toji Suzuhara. My best friend, one that I nearly killed as well.

And finally, the true source of terror in my heart. A blue haired, red eyed girl by the name of Ayanami Rei.

I can feel some color disappeared from face. But I calmed myself. Well… I suppose… I had to start with the easiest one first. "O… Okay… before you guys said anything… erhh…"

Everyone looked at me. "First… Misato-san… I'm glad you're still alive. And then… Toji… I'm really… really… erhh… what was it… sorry ain't gonna cut it… what was the word…" That's right. Repeating your life over and over in your mind had some uses. You can always rehearse what you will do, in every possible what-if scenario. The frustrating thing is, I probably had rehearsed this probably a million times in the what-if scenario of if-I-made-it-back-to-the-land-of-the-living-and-meet-everyone-alive-and-well scenario. Here they are now… and I'm lost.

Toji chuckled at my expense. Yep. Right. Laugh it up. Damn you. "…I'm sorry… about Eva-03 accident… it was…"

"Yo, Shinji. Chill out. I'm alive. That's what matters."

"I… I don't know… I…"

Misato smiled. "Anyway, I'm sure you have a lot questions. We're here to provide the answer."

A sigh escaped my lips. Yeah. Toji's right. He's still alive. I'll have all the time in the world to catch up. Now, first thing first. "I guess… well… my first question is… how did you guys survive the… well… the third impact?"

Misato whistled at the heavy question. She gave Maya the stare, and the women realize the need of privacy. "Alright. Hikari-chan, Kensuke-kun."

The two nodded and left after Kensuke gave me a final. "See you around soon, Shinji!"

I nodded before turning back to the three people who claimed will answer my questions.

Rei answered them. "We survive… well we exist as we were because you rejected Instrumentality, Ikari-kun."

I looked at her with fear evident in my eyes. I just couldn't wipe the image of the huge white version of her decapitated head from my mind.

"You see, when you did what you did, the process was reversed and the AT field of the mankind were re-established. And some of us did recover our true form. But it's a process that takes time. But currently, most of the humans did regain their original form."

Yes. Just like what Kaworu said back then. Those who had the will and the potential to go back will recover their original form back. That would mean most humans were probably never agreed with the instrumentality project. "…so… most of the humans returned back to their original state… just like that?"

"An oversimplification… but yes. They returned back to normal." Rei answered this time. I dared myself to look at her.

"…did they know?"

The three looked at me.

"I… I was at the center of it all. When that happened, every thought, every information became one. The humans that turned back, won't they remember the sensation?"

"No. It seems, the information was too much for them to absorb. Most didn't remember what happened. They returned along with all their individual memories." Rei continued. "Some exceptional few, though, did retain some bits of memory of that place."

I frowned. "Really?"

"And me." I was quite taken back when Touji pointed at himself. "I retain some memories. And I was like you too, I was a bit… shocked… with that shitload amount of info flowing into my head."

"We assume-" Rei continued. "-that was because Touji-kun's close contact with Eva… and Angel."

"Bardiel, the thirteenth Angel."

"Yeah. I was just like you too. I was in coma and vegetable for like a year. When I woke up, I'm just… well; you're in my shoes right now, so."

I nodded. And then I brought the next question. "Errhh… you said mostly come back… so what happened to those who don't come back?"

At this, they hesitate to answer. I knew right away I won't like the answer. I looked at the remaining three. They seem a bit unnerved at my stare.

"How do we start this… alright… let's start with… the Invasion." Misato sighed.

'…invasion?'

"You asked what happened to those who do not revert back. Well… in actuality, some of them did come back… but apparently they don't come back as humans." She pulled out a disk from her pocket and tapped a few buttons and then a holographic image appeared. "This image was taken… a few weeks after the Third Impact. Back then, some of the crosses were still around. We know it apparently had something with human souls… but then… See for yourself."

I looked at the holographic video showing the crosses in the skies. Given the amount of shaking, it seems the video was taken with a handcam and then all the sudden, the crosses turned red… and then dozens of… creatures in myriad sizes and forms just burst out of the cross. The smaller ones, they seem pretty relatively small and their shape and size are varying. But the larger ones… I frowned at their somewhat similarity with the EVAs. Though their limbs were enlarged or malformed. And then there were the red cables, or veins that connected them all with the crimson crosses, floating on the sky. On the EVA lookalike, the way they're connected were similar to the umbilical cables. And then there's the fact that all of them had mask. Not dissimilar with the Angels I fought.

Except their masks were all black and eyeless.

I frowned as I watched the sound of people screaming when those creatures rampaged. The video ended when one of the large Eva-lookalike stared at the camera, and then it went static. "They start appearing worldwide a few weeks after the Third Impact. Invading what's left of the various countries in the world. We call it the Invasion. We've been at war with them ever since."

"Angels?"

"No. The smaller ones are Legions… and the bigger ones, we call them Daemons. They're subspecies of the Fallens."

"Of the what?"

"The Fallen. That's what we call them anyway." Touji replied.

Misato followed. "The crosses… which we assume were humans that have yet to resume their human form, suddenly transform into these… creatures. At first we thought they were angels, like the one we've fought before… but… we studied their corpse and then we realized, they're something completely different."

I stay silent and the three took that as a sign to continue talking.

"For one… their numbers are numerous, unlike the Angels who appeared singular. Appearing dozens… hundreds at a time, worldwide. They have AT fields. But they're not as powerful or as resilient as the Angels. Intense barrage of conventional weapon can actually penetrate the AT field and take them out but… not exactly it's quite effective given their numerous numbers."

I outstretched my arm, wanting to see the holographic image a little better. I looked at the creature. "What's with the name…the Fallen?"

"Well… their DNA construction, for one, is a complete reverse to that of Angel. But they're quite similar in the substances that construct them. But they're not exactly Angels. It was as if these beings are a complete opposite of Angels. So we designate them the Fallen."

"So." I concluded. "First humanity had to face Angels from Heaven… and now the devils come to add the suffering too?"

The tone on my voice shut them all up. I'm not surprised. Because I'm angry. I'm pissed as hell. Reality. They have a way of toying with you. In the dream world, I did envision a world where everybody came back and live happily ever after. But I knew that was just a sad happy made up dreamworld. A happily ever after does not exist in reality. Makes me wonder what's the point in all that people dying, all that people suffering in fights against Angels, only to have these… these Fallens take their place as the new tormentor? I'm starting to regret of coming ba-

NO! You stop that train of thought right there you farking idiot! Back during the instrumentality, I said it myself. People had to get hurt to progress. I wished this world to be the way they are when I made the decision to reject instrumentality.

"Shin-chan?"

I jerked up and looked at Misato. Now that I get a better look at her, I noticed some wrinkles in her face and she looked a bit thinner.

"You need some time alone? You look like you're… well…"

I thought for moment and then I looked at Rei, again. But… I just couldn't muster the courage to talk with her. I need to speak with each of them. In private. The things I wish to ask them… Right now, I need to talk with someone I'm quite comfortable with, but most importantly, had a good knowledge in world situation. So. "I'd like some time alone… with Misato-san, if you guys don't mind."

Rei nodded and Touji looked at me and nodded. "Sure."

000000000000

As the two walked out of Shinji's room, Touji sighed. "…he changed."

"…"

"That… expression on his face when we told him the Fallens… back then that kind of expression is the last thing I would expect from someone like him."

"…he had undergone the same thing you did, Touji-kun."

"Well… to me it only happened for one year…"

"But the Instrumentality changed you, it surely changed him too."

"Ah… I knew things. Some things I never even heard of. The angels, the Evas, Seele, NERV, the instrumentality… and him, being at the center of it all… Every waking hour he spent must be Hell for him during that period."

Rei sighed. "…yes."

000000000000

"You know… that day… I thought you were dead."

"I was dead. My heart flat-lined for 5 seconds, before a Rei image turned me into LCL. The next time I regained consciousness I was in the hospital, paralyzed." And with that she showed me her thigh. I was ready to blush, but instead… I frowned. I saw… mechanical implants?

"Misato-san… this is?"

"The bullet missed my heart but hit my spinal cord. I lost function on my left leg and left arm. They put the same cybernetic implants that allowed Touji-kun to walk again."

"Oh… I see."

"Ah, and…" She cheerfully showed me the necklace. "Thanks for leaving this on that grave you made me."

"You're welcome."

"You know… Shin-chan. Look, I know, you're here to ask questions to us… but I need to ask…what exactly did happen during the Instrumentality?"

"…the first things are… images. Pictures of events. First from people I know. You, Kaji, and a flood of information. A whole bunch of it."

Misato clasped her hands together. "What did you learn?"

I frowned. So she knew what happened. I put my hands together by the fingers. "I was at the core of when every human knowledge and thoughts became one. Now I know that I was piloting and battling angels with a clone of one. I know the names of every Angel. The people responsible for Third Impact, the Seele and the fact that they've been using me as the conduit of the impact. S2 engines. AT Field. A whole bunch of things. At first I thought my head is gonna explode… but then… l…look I'm not gonna talk about it- i-it's not a particularly a good experience."

"W… We just wish to compare your experience… with Touji's."

"Touji. He was one of those who remembered the knowledge from the moment of instrumentalization."

"Yes. Every surviving NERV members all remembered how the instrumentality goes. But, Touji also gain… more knowledge than he initially knew. He was in coma and vegetable for one year. And when he wake up he started blabbering about… believe it or not, some ancient quantum physics theory from some professor who died 300 years ago."

"Instrumentality is a unification of human souls." And Misato suddenly staring at me. "There's a theory that said humans souls transfer in cycles. A Chinese ancient reincarnation theory. A theory said one day in heaven is 1000 years in human world. If a human died… the theory stated that… a human who died… need a few celestial days to be reincarnated. Assuming this scientist died 300 years before the instrumentalization, this scientist's soul is probably is still in transition and mixed into the flow of souls absorbed to the black moon…what?"

Then I noticed Misato was staring at me like I'm some freak. "D…Did you just hear yourself?"

"…w…oh…" Then I noticed as I covered my mouth. Back then I wouldn't even understand a single word I just said. And then all the sudden… I started blabbering about some ancient Chinese reincarnation theory…

"That's what we thought." Misato chuckled. "Touji spent only a single period of time trapped in an Eva infected by an Angel. We had to assume that every children who piloted an Eva and had contact with Angel, direct or indirect… had their… well… knowledge expanded due to Instrumentalization. YOU, spent so much more time… of all the EVAs, EVA-01 had the best victory record over Angels. And… above all else, you have the most contact and proximity with them, both physical… and mental. Given these facts… quite frankly… we kinda gave up hope you'll ever wake up."

"But I'm not the only children… there's Ayanami… and there's…" The memory of a certain red haired girl spiked my mind and made me stopped short. And then I remembered what I've done to her. I choked her. Thank God I lost consciousness before I could finish. I… I fantasize about her… could she know that too? I tried to save this one for later. My discomfort clearly showed in my face, as the next thing she said:

"I'm sorry. It's just well… tell you what, let's get a change of atmosphere. Let's continue this talk over a… haircut session."

I looked at her through a flock of my overgrown hair. Point taken. I. Need. Haircut.

I was sitting as Misato sat behind me, a scissor in hand and she starts cutting my hair. She's pretty good at it. "I never knew you can be quite a barber."

"Hey, who do you think cut Kaji's insanely wild hair, hm?"

"Oh… s…sorry… I shouldn't have."

"Pish posh. It's been three years. I got it over."

I nodded silently. I had to change the subject soon. At first, I thought of my father… but then, I changed my subject to something more closely related to him. "…What happened… to NERV?"

"Don't you mean your father?"

"…"

"Okay. All I can say… is that your father is one of the few that's quite content on staying in LCL form. We never actually found him. Not even a body."

I felt empty. Neither remorse nor regret. I guess I never truly cared for him. "Who else who… doesn't come back from NERV?"

"A lot. Most of the worker in NERV was killed before they turned into LCL… Ritsuko too."

"Ritsuko-san?"

"Yeah. Like your father, we never recover any body. So we kinda assume… she died… before she turned into LCL."

"…so… Rei takes Father's place as the head of NERV now or… did you?"

"Oh this?" She touched her clothing. "No. NERV no longer exist. We're… let's say, absorbed into the new UN. We're now officially an independent force specialized on fighting the Fallens under UN."

I chuckled bitterly. NERV, in sense, caused the Third Impact. Having brought the world one step away from Armageddon clearly didn't put NERV in humanity's good graces. "I'm surprised they didn't execute you guys for crimes against humanity, after the things we did." That's right. If I were to think about it, my father was the mastermind behind Third Impact. But everyone has a hand in this, one way or another. Especially me.

She laughed bitterly. "We have to thank Fuyutsuki-san… and Rei."

"Ayanami?"

Misato gave me a matter of factly look.

"…she too…"

"She used her expanded knowledge to improve the Evangelion, now we call them Nero-Angellion, and she offered that up to the UN to buy our stay from the execution ground. Fuyutsuki, now general of the UN Japan branch use his influence to act as the intermediary. Rei's now a commander of the Fallen Hunter squad, Japanese Branch."

I don't give a rat's ass what they are called. Nero-Angellion… Evangellion, same thing, different names. I lost so much because of those things… my Dad obsessed over it, my mother disappeared because of it. I crippled my friend because of… Wait a minute. "You said… Touji was in the same condition like me… how did you guys… wake him up?"

"He woke up by himself. Of course he was a little bit… well… upset."

"…and how did I wake up… unless…" And then I remembered the white pearly creatures chasing after me. And the white Rei… and then all this add up to what I truly want to ask: "How _exactly_ did you guys wake me up?"

That question brought me to a trip across the new military fortress known as Tokyo-4. As I watched this fortress is so much different than Tokyo-3. In Tokyo-3 you can still find civilian buildings, houses (which serves as cannon fodders for Angel attacks). I don't find such thing in Tokyo-4. From what I can tell from the windows of the elevator, this place is purely a military fortress. They don't hide enormous defensive turrets underground, no missile silos that are camouflaged, or any subterranean barbed concrete walls. And unless my eyes mistaken me, I saw, not just one, but several, smaller, more portable version, of the same Positron beam cannon I used as a rifle, and now serve as a defensive turret. This place is twice bigger than the previous Tokyo, and with the amounts of guns I'm seeing, makes me wonder how they pay all this.

After a 10,000 feet journey to the underground, the trip brought me to a cage, not dissimilar with the Evangelion cage… except they don't dip those gigantic humanoid machine-creature things in LCL. But their sizes sure don't change. Probably even bigger. "I forgot just how big they are." My head bent backward just to catch a glimpse of the Nero-Angellion's head. "There are… two of them."

"Yes. This one is the Bane. The other is the Spear. Our newest unit."

"The Spear? The Bane?"

"Development Codenames. And the name just sort of stuck. Some people think it's cooler than just giving them numbers." Misato flashed her ID on a security lock and then we got on to the lift that brought us to the level where we get face to face, literally, with the Angellions. I frowned as Misato brought me to the place that woke me up. The cockpit of the Nero-Angellion, The Spear. As I noticed it… Spear had a black, white and purple color scene. Mostly purple. And the head, which mostly white, has a single horn, almost reminiscent to 01.

"You… put me in here?"

"Yes. The Spear was our newest Nero-Angellion. We completed it three weeks ago, and we attempt to activate it and…" Misato showed several dozen dents and torn holes on the wall.

"Berserk."

"Yes. But during those same times… medical ward reported your first higher brainwave function activity. At first…we thought it was coincidence. And then, we start receiving brain wave signals… from you."

"From me?" I don't remember I did something as cool as that…

"That's when we decided to brave the attempt to actually wake you up. We synchronized several minds into the Spear, put you inside…"

"The white pearly creatures that sucked up parts of me… it were you guys!"

"Yes."

"And you sent a bunch of us to medical bay." Just then some harsh voice flowed from the back. Misato and I turned and saw some men wearing UN clothings. A grey haired middle aged man with a healthy dark grey moustache walked in with some other tough looking people. All Westerner.

"Oh not now, Granger-san."

Americans. What are they doing here?

"Look, with all due respect sub commander Katsuragi. Waking up that kid sent no less than 27 of my best men to the hospital on a coma. I want to know if it's worth it." He looked at me. He shoved Katsuragi away and come at me, face to face. He looked at every inch of my face. "You certainly got the eye."

"?"

"The kind of eyes that have seen Hell."

Well. At least he got that right.

"Have you been trained in use of firearms?"

Center the target and shoot. That's all I ever been taught, and even that was through an Eva's eyes. "…no."

"Advanced hand to hand combat?"

The only time I did use hand to hand combat was… when Eva-01 went berserk. And then when I fight Zeruel… I'm not even sure I'm in control. "…no."

Granger took one look of disbelief to Misato. One of the soldiers lost his patience. "So… are you telling me my brother go into coma for some fucking kid who couldn't even shoot a fuckin' gun!?"

Misato seem trying to talk to them but apparently my ears don't work much anymore. Brother? I sent his brother to coma? Well probably not just brothers. Probably sisters, friends… who knows?

"I ought to just shoot him myself-"

"I dare you to do that!" Just then, Touji rushed in. "Just try that."

"M… Major Suzuhara…" The soldier's stopped at the sight of Touji. Wait. MAJOR!?

"Come on Shinji. Let's talk."

I let Touji grabbed my wrist and dragged me away from all those angry soldiers. We stopped in front a black Angellion. Pitch black one. "Sorry about that. Days like this… people are on the edge."

"You were also in a coma, like me."

"Only a year."

"What was it like?"

"…kinda weird. I… felt like I was walking and saw… every people I care about. My sister, my friends-that includes you-… and then I saw a whole bunch of people. But… one thing I do realized during all that… is the people I usually take for granted… and that's when I realized I loved them. I want to see them. And then… just like that I woke up. Disoriented. Angry. and I ended with a crawling psychopathic rampage that only stop after I met Hikari." Touji snickered. "Not a particularly memorable time of my life for my first kiss moment."

I chuckled. "Congrats. By the way… they said… Major?"

"Yeah. I've been serving some time in frontline… with Bane." He tapped the Angellion several times like patting a puppy.

"…you like it?"

"Like it? Are you kidding me? I could get killed many times, I could leave Hikari heartbroken… no. I don't like it at all." Touji sighed. "…I've been inside your Eva-01 only once in real combat. You know that. I've been inside my own Eva for only one day."

"And then I crushed your leg."

"Not a problem anymore." He showed me his legs. Some cybernetic implants seem had been incorporated into them. "Misato-san told me about all of this." Touji grabbed hold of my shoulders. "He told me how your father used some sort freaky autopilot. That thing broke my leg. Not you."

"Touji… I…" Before the words came out of my mouth, an alarm roared.

"_Warning, warning, warning."_

"Well… kicking some Fallen's asses seems like a good way to make this day perfect. Meeting you, talking with you in flesh. I'm as happy as I can be now."

I looked around and then I saw everyone was running around, panicking. Granger was shouting orders to his men while Misato rushed to the elevator, presumably to the main command room.

**000000000000**

In the main bridge…

Rei was sitting in the commander's chair with Generals of the UN, Fuyutsuki included, and sit in their seats. Granger and Misato were also present.

"Makoto?"

"Incoming. DNA pattern, black. It's the Fallen."

"They're covering the radar; they're all over the place!" Shigeru gulped as he looked at the numbers of spots appearing in the radar.

Rei remained calm. "Prepare the dummy plugs. Activate Tokyo-4's AT field."

"Yes, ma'am."

Deep within the bowels of the Tokyo-4 base, several dummy plugs were inserted into the slot, and the engines connected to them start roaring.

**000000000000**

Outside…

The areas around Tokyo-4 were slightly distorted. The entire fortress is now protected by AT field, as soldiers run along the base, alarms roaring, and guns, cannons, missile launchers, all kinds of artilleries and defensive turrets went online. On the distance, several large red crosses appeared on the skies. And, as the red crosses disperse away, black masked crimson creatures appeared in myriads of shapes and sizes. And there are hundreds of them. Some of the crosses sprouted 2-3 giant malformed Eva-like creatures, also with black eyeless masks. All of them had crimson umbilical cables attached to their back, connected to the floating red crosses floating on the sky.

"Oh shit…" One of the soldiers got into the coms. "We got several Daemon class. I repeat we got several Daemon class. We need an Angellion support now!"

The Daemon's black masks suddenly opened. And the whole area around them was slightly distorted.

"FIRE!!!"

A hailstorm of bullets, cannon shells, missiles, and positron blast burst out, raining upon the enemies. The attacks just bounced off the AT-fields generated by the Daemons, even the Positron beam blasts bounced off. And then, a series of flashes came from the opposing side.

"COVER!!" Kensuke roared.

Just like that, a series of huge explosion occurred all over the place, creating a blaze in the image of a reversed Christian cross. The AT field managed to protect the soldiers and the buildings within its protective field.

**000000000000**

"The enemy's AT fields are growing ma'am. They'll try to negate ours."

Rei pressed the button on her chair. "Touji-kun, we need you and the Bane immediately."

**000000000000**

I heard Ayanami's announcement at the hangar. I looked at Touji. "Touji, you really gonna fight in this thing?"

"I get it. Every waking hour you spent in this monster is a nightmare. I understand that so much better now. But I do understand… that we have to do it. You've been fighting for the whole world… me… I'm just fighting for Hikari."

"Touji…"

He grabbed my shoulder. "You protected me. You protected us all. And then you saved the world from certain apocalypse. Even if the whole world refused to see it… humanity owes you… a great debt. I guess… it's my turn… to return the favor."

And with that, he entered the Bane's cockpit from the chest. Several soldiers took me away from the vicinity. And the machinery starts moving as I watched the binders of the black giant were removed. I get the better look at this… Nero-Angellion-or just Angellion. It's pitch back, bottom to top. Evangellions were monotone in design. The only differences I remembered were mostly on the chest armor area and head part. But this one. Misato told me Rei using her expanded knowledge she made some improvements… If that's true… she really went all out. I see no resemblance whatsoever with the Evangelions I used to know. This Angellion is more armored, probably relatively bigger too… The Bane had several black long cylinders protruding from several parts of its body: 6 encircling its neck, three on each fore-arm, and three on each leg. The shoulders are heavily armored and it still had that small similarity with the long shoulder blades of the traditional EVA units, albeit it's thicker. On the chest I saw a red core, and then a shell covered the core, sealed it tight. The black giant is put inside a large capsule like cage, where it then moved to the launch pad. And then I noticed one last big difference: no umbilical cable.

And, like the EVAs, the Angellion were launched upwards all the way to the surface.

**000000000000**

Hikari nervously monitor Touji's vital signs.

"Synchronization rate… 40... 43... 55... 65 percent! Touji's in good condition." Maya tried to alleviate Hikari's nervousness.

**000000000000**

Outside…

The Bane burst out of the ground. Inside the Bane, Touji looked at the enormous number of the Fallens.

"_Releasing the final binders. You have control, Touji-kun."_

The circular cage detached itself from the Bane. The black giant lightens up to life with crimson pulse flowing all over the body.

Inside Touji licked his lips and cracked his knuckles. "Guess what guys… one of my friends just come back to the land of the living, and you guys had to show up, ruinin' my day. I'm gonna have some fun pounding on you guys."

Down below Kensuke heard everything from the radio and whistled. "Oh men… they are so gonna get it."

"_Touji, we need to neutralize the AT field."  
_

"Activating AT field. IKUSEEEEE!!!" The area around the Bane distorted slightly, a sign that the Angellion's AT field was activated. Having done that, the black giant charged towards the army. The Fallens began barraging the incoming enemy, but the Bane dodged them all. The Bane's AT field collided with the opponents'.

_The Bane's AT field are corroding the Fallens'"_

"Activating Progressive Claws!!" Two pairs of chainsaw katanas burst out from in-between its fingers. The claws glowed bright red. The cylinders on the Bane's forearms sank in, and the said body part enlarges before Touji/Bane slammed them to the opposing AT field. The blades quickly tore through a small portion of the barrier. The Bane split open the small opening only to be welcomed by a horde of Legions. Their masks start glowing for a barrage.

Before Touji can react, a hailstorm of bullets and Positron burst flow through just beneath his armpits, destroying the Legions. Touji/Bane looked back to see the sneering and cheering Kensuke.

"Can't let you have all the fun!" Kensuke bellowed over the radio.

"Wait until I hock down the Daemons, then you can have your fun." Bane force himself in, sending a roundhouse horizontal slash that tore down all Legions in range. He stabbed a Legion, tossed it to another group before proceed to cross slash them to ribbons. One Legion managed to get to close, but the Bane shoulder blade opened up and sent a hail of jet propelled Kunais that went through the first Legion, hitting and nailing another group on the back. The mini N2 bombs within the Kunais explode, taking them and all other enemy in vicinity. At this, the Daemon approached the Bane. Touji stared at them. "7 Daemon class… if I don't take them all out, the AT field won't dissipate. Okay." He tightened the grip on his controller.

**000000000000**

In the hangar, I watched in awe through the monitor. Back then, it took a full effort of an Eva (sometimes to the point of going Berserk), or a combined strength of two or more Eva to take down just one angel. And now one Nero-Angellion can actually do that? But wait a minute, those things called Legion ARE cannon fodders. Now the enemy has this Eva-lookalike, which they call Daemons. And there are 7 of them. And unlike Angels, they don't have cores… so there's actually no weakness he can exploit. Will one Angellion be enough?

**000000000000**

Touji/Bane began the fight by charging head on to the first Daemon. Like before the AT field blocked his attack. But the katanas went through the AT field and score a vertical cut that slice through the Daemon's right arm. The Daemon seems a bit fazed by this as it aimed its left arm at Bane. The arm morphed into gun barrels with varying sizes, and fired a salvo of bullets.

'What the…'

Bane re-enact it's AT field a little late. One of the bullets scored a hit on his shoulder, but the other bullets were repelled. "What was that!? I never knew they can do that now!" The Bane landed safely, ready for battle, but the shoulder Kunai launcher on the left is busted.

"_Touji, you're okay!?" _Came Hikari's concerned voice

"I'm fine. A little caught off guard, but I can still fight!"

On the ground, Kensuke roared. "Come on! The Daemons are distracted! Get the tanks here! Gave Touji some support fire!"

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel!" The ground forces continued their attack. But they mostly focused on the weaker, yet more numerous Legions.

With Legions given to the ground forces, Touji/Bane can concentrate on the bigger Daemons. He enlarged his arms again and sent a straight stab with its right arm at the closest Daemon, breaking through their AT field. The stab burst through the first target, tearing off a quarter of its body and nailed another one behind it. The first Daemon still lives though, and using its remaining arm, it began pounding on Bane. The black giant grunted and stabbed the Daemon with the Katanas on the left arm and raised its mangled body up. Three Daemons rushed on his from the right, and the last two rushed from left, and so he tossed the daemons stuck on his blades at them. Right one goes to the left, the left on goes to the right. The Bane crawled on a starting position. The rods on his legs sank in, the ground cracked as the feet expanded. The two Daemons from before rose up just as the Bane spring forward, all four of its claws pointing at them. The blades stab through them both, tearing a portion of their body. Four Daemons rose up and aimed their black masks at Bane and it flashes. The Bane jumped to the side, just as a large explosion occurred on the spot. The black giant jumped towards the red ones, and landed on them, blades first. One of the Daemons tried to stare directly at his face, but before the red monster can fire, Bane slammed his face at it first. He grabbed one of them and shoved their chest to his Kunai shooter, and Touji unload all his N2 Kunais at him. Bane jumped away, a second before the bomb riddled Daemon explodes, burning out the other three Daemons in vicinity.

"Yosh. With this, three more to go!" But just as Touji/Bane intend to fight on, a horde of Legions suddenly flocked his head. "Hey what…?" 'I thought Kensuke and the land forces are concentrating on them?' He looked below and saw that the land forces were indeed giving all they got. But the Legions were too numerous. '…there are simply too many of them… but… where did they come from?'

**000000000000**

The command bridge was in chaos. Shigeru panicked when he saw a new set of crosses showing on the radar just behind the previous ones. "We got another readings! DNA pattern black! It's another attack! Bigger than the first!"

"So the first attack was to attract Bane out in the open and exhaust our men and provision." Rei commented. "They're evolving… and they're getting smarter."

"N… Nanni!?" One of the general gulped.

**000000000000**

The newly appeared Crimson crosses drop another 8 Daemons, all ready to fight. Inside his cockpit Touji gritted his teeth. Meanwhile, the newly arrived Legions encircled around what remained of the first 4 Daemons Touji/Bane had taken out. The legions rushed towards them, and then start merging. Minutes later, the Daemon was resurrected, not a single shred of wound is visible. The Bane is now surrounded by 13 Daemons.

**000000000000**

"T… THAT'S CHEATING!!" Misato banged her table with her cybernetic enhanced fist, crushing it to pieces.

**000000000000**

I looked at the situation from the monitor and I realized, Touji will never make it at this rate. What should I do now? Meanwhile, as I ponder on, I can hear the chaos in the bridge transmitted to the speaker.

**000000000000**

Outside, exhausted and ridded of most of its arsenal, the Daemons start making a punching bag out of Bane. Of course, Touji refused to become one, and he tried to fight back. But there are simply too many of them. He punched a daemon, sending him flying, but then, three of them sent their own punch to his abdomen. Inside the cockpit, Touji felt the hit and spat some blood.

At the bridge, Hikari gasped when she saw Touji's chest suffered a minor fracture. "Touji-kun!"

The Bane was smashed to the edge of Tokyo-4's AT field. Touji gritted his teeth. "I… won't… let you…"

The thirteen Daemons stared at him, and then their faces flashed.

"AT-FIELD MAXIMUM OUTPUT!!"

The blast from the Daemons were enormous and blinding. And it hit the Touji/Bane in full, burning some of the Angellion's skin. The pain transmitted to its pilot. "!!"

**000000000000**

Upon hearing Touji's roar I snapped.

'And you just sit there… doing nothing.'

Kaji-san's words echoed in my head like a thousand speaker roaring in my ears all at once and I snapped. How can I be such an idiot!? What's the point of going over your life infinite times on all those what-Ifs and If-only scenarios? I reached out to a communicator and look for the number to dial the central command.

**000000000000**

Once the burst from the thirteen Daemons ended, The Bane is still standing, but smokes puffing out from its externals.

Main bridge…

"The Bane is still standing! Its AT field managed to block them all off… but it can't take a hit like that too often! Touji! You hear me? Get inside Tokyo-4's AT field!" Hikari cried frantically to the com.

Just then, a transmission arrived. Makoto took it. "Anti-Fallen Squad, main bridge what is it?"

"This is Ikari Shinji."

"Shinji-kun?"

"Get me Misa… no… get me Ayanami."

Makoto looked at Ayanami. He covered the phone. "It's Shinji-kun."

"Put it on the screen."

Makoto did so, and Shinji's voice echoed on the hall and his face appeared on a window. "Ayanami… no… Commander Ayanami… Touji won't be able to fight them all for long. Is there any other weapon you can use to support him?"

Rei thought for a second. "We're hard pressed as we were, Ikari-kun. And there-"

"If there's none… How long will it take to get the Spear ready to launch… with me at the helm?"

Granger gasped at the outrageous request. "That's unthinkable! The Spear is not a toy that can be-"

"Every second we waste, Touji's a step closer of being butchered. You put me into that thing, connected 27 able bodied men or so just to wake me up from a coma. How much longer are we going to pretend you haven't planned for me to pilot it in the first place?"

"…standard Nero-Angellion battle preparation for new pilots is 30 minutes. Maya-san."

"Hai?"

"Go to the cage. I want the Spear ready to launch in 15 minutes."

"I'll make it 10!" Maya brought some tools with her and rushed out of the main bridge.

Hikari yelled at the com. "Touji! Help is coming! You need to hang on and stay alive for 10 minutes okay!?"

**000000000000**

6 minutes later, in the Cage…

Maya appeared from the lift and quickly rushed towards me. "Ibuki-san."

"Alright, we're gonna do this quick. Shinji-kun, turn around please."

I turned around and Ibuki-san quickly injected something into my spinal cortex. It felt a bit ticklish. "What was that?"

"Nanomachines. Normally it takes 15 minutes for the Nanomachine to settle but I added up some accelerator. You felt nothing at first but it'll hurt a few hours later, so finish the fight fast, you won't like it when it hurts. We don't use plug-suit anymore, Ikari-kun. Interface with the Nero-Angellion had been greatly simplified. You still need a high synchro rate and you still need this." She gave me the white headpiece I used to wear to pilot 01. That's one nostalgic item.

"So… it's that it? I can go in now?"

"No, wait! Listen, the Angellion is a bit different than the Eva-"

"Just explain to me on the field, Touji haven't got much time left!" I jumped into the Spear's cockpit. I sit on the chair, get the safety lock on, and grasp the controller as the cockpit hatch closed. And then, like before, LCL flows in. I'm no longer surprised by this though. And then, I felt a small sting on my back and windows start appearing right in front of me.

"_Okay… Shinji-kun, can you hear me?"_

"I hear you."

"_The OS of the Angellion is generations more advanced than the Evas. We used ocular motion detector. Which means…"_

"The pointer will follow my line of sight. I get it. What else?"

"_Okay. We'll begin the synchronization immediately." _

**000000000000**

At the bridge

Makoto noted the Synchro rate of The Spear and Shinji. "Synchro rate at… 35 percent…" Makoto was a bit perplexed. If he remembered correctly, Shinji used to score the highest in the Synchro test.

"It's alright. He can still move that way. Makoto-san, monitor his vital signs."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ready the Spear for launch!"

**000000000000**

The first binders on the Spear were removed, revealing its form. Like Bane, it is mostly black in color, but with a combination of purple parts and near transparent white shoulder armor. It has no shoulder blades like Bane, and its chest are well armored. A crimson pearl in its chest sank in as the chest armor closed in, protecting it. Its right arm is relatively bigger than the left, with sharp bladed claws for fingers; longer than the other arm and more armored, and an extension was attached just below the elbow. There's an exhaust hole on the extension. The Angellion itself had several exhaust holes throughout its body. And the head is less monstrous than the EVA-01, somewhat, it still has eyes as well and it still has a single long horn. The Spear was moved to the launch pad, and put to the circular cage.

Inside the Spear…

"_Shinji-kun? Are you ready?" _Come Misato-san's voice.

"…punch it."

"_Nero-Angellion: The Spear! LAUNCH!"_

The jerk from the rail launcher. I never get used to it. I watched as the lights flashes before the monitor. In a few seconds, I reached the surface and stopped. I looked at the battlefield before me silently.

"_Releasing final binders! Shinji-kun! You have control!"_

The final binders are released, and the black-purple-white Angellion is ready move. But I didn't move. Not yet.

"_Shinji-kun?"_

**000000000000**

"What's wrong with him?"

"Urgh… I have no idea… the synchro-rate is just fine… Don't tell me it's malfunctioning…"

**000000000000**

"_Shinji-kun! This is Ibuki. Listen! That Angellion haven't been tuned for combat purposes. It only has 30 percent output. So be careful, its AT field are not as powerful as it should!"_

I took a deep breath of the oxygen in the LCL. I never liked them, but well, it's the only thing we have in this cockpit. To think I was actually breathing in Angel's blood. Best try not to think about it. I gripped my controller. The Spear flashed to live as green pulse appeared on the Angellion's surface. The Spear/I took a step forward and walk slowly. From behind the AT field I saw the Bane stand his ground. The Daemons were preparing to shoot him again. I grabbed the Bane and pull him inside Tokyo-4's AT field. The black giant looked at me, and I know, Touji was looking at me. A screen popped out with Touji's pale, yet smiling, face on the window.

"Oh, that's one hell of a reinforcement… Shinji!"

"You're okay?"

"A bit battered, but I'll live!"

"Stay here." I put the Bane down and walk out of the AT field. There, the Daemons and the remaining Legions welcomed me. I want to taste something first. Something to really ensure I'm really up to do this. An act of declaration of intent. The Daemon's looked at me. They seem trying to assess what the hell am I? And then one of them flashed. The explosion hit the chest, and the pain went straight to my heart. "AAAAAAARGHH!!"

**000000000000**

"Heart-rate increasing!!" Makoto gulped.

"Shinji-kun! Shinji-kun! What are you doing? Is he alright?"

"The AT field holds."

**000000000000**

It hurts… but I've been through a lot worse. I know. I remember. Come on! Is this all you got!? With that in mind, I pushed the controller and returned the Spear to an upright position, enticing them to do worse.

**000000000000**

"What the Hell is he doing?" Granger growled.

"He's trying to remember." Rei calmly stated.

"Remember? Remember what?"

**000000000000**

The Daemons realized just one blast will not be enough. And then all 13 of them flashed. I braced myself for the pain and the impact. The blast hit every inch of the Spear, and it literally boils the LCL inside the cockpit. Every inch of my cells felt like it was burned. "!!!" The blast tossed the unit all the way back to Tokyo-4. The Spear crashed to the buildings on its back.

**000000000000**

"His synchro-rate dropped below the minimal zone! 3 percent!"

"HE'S FLAT-LINED!!"

"START THE EMERGENCY TREATMENT!"

**000000000000**

Inside the cockpit, I can feel my heart stopped. And then I remembered. The blast on my right eye. The burn on my palm. The searing heat that penetrates to my heart… and all other injuries, all other pain I've experienced when I fought the Angels. In three years I've seem to forgotten them all. Now I remember. This pain. The kind of pain that can only be inflicted by Angels. Now inflicted by a different version of their kind. It doesn't matter. Now I remember what I'm fighting against.

Bump.

And my heart starts beating again as I opened my eyes. As I saw screens of Touji and Misato yelling at me. I can hear the latter screaming over the com.

"_Shinji-kun! Thank God you're alive. Take route 41! Retreat! We have to treat you-"_

"I have no intention of retreating!" I roared. "…I remember now."

"Then what the hell are you doing? What, you became a Sadomasochist or something?" Touji gasped.

"_What?" _Misato twitched.

"Heheheh… I… never liked this cockpit." I chortled. "Touji, there's something I want to tell you. You were wrong."

"What?"

"First… that accident with the Eva-03? It's not my father activated the Dummy plug. He told me to fight. And I disobeyed his orders. I didn't fight. If I had done something… it might've been a different story. But I didn't. And so he activated the dummy plug."

Touji waited.

"Secondly… I'm not that incredible. You fight for the woman you love. Back then… I didn't fight for the world. I don't even care about the world. I fight for the recognition from a father I will never get… and now probably will never ever gonna get."

Touji smiled lightly. "Then why are you here?"

"A lot of a bad things happened because I didn't do anything. I didn't even try. So at least… this time… I'll do something." And with that I grasped the controller, ready to fight.

**000000000000**

Shigeru blinked when he read the Synchro-rate indicator. "What in the world? 5 percent, 15, 48, 75, no 76… 83… 97 percent!?"

"What the?" Granger checked his ears. "97 percent? Is it berserk?"

"No! All the controllers are working!"

"So you're saying the pilot had been holding back?"

Rei smiled and silently whispered to herself. "As expected."

**000000000000**

I/Spear started the battle with a long jump. The giant landed right behind the group of Daemons. I swung the fist and it went through a Daemon, but it stuck in there. The Demon roared in pain and start swinging around. The Spear was carried along with it. "Ibuki-san! What's with this right arm?"

"_Ah… Erhh… Right… Stupid manual… Where is it, where is it… Ah here it is. The Spear is a high performance close-to-mid-range combat purpose Nero-Angellion! It has built in weapons, but also capable of using other weapons."_

I/Spear barely missed a blast from one of the Daemons. "The Arm, Ibuki-san! The ARM!"

"_Here it is! Nero-Angellion Spear's right arm is a bleeding edge close-mid-range test-type weapon, codenamed AT Spear-shooter. First, its fingers are armed with a unique type of heat-transfer progressive blades."_

"Progressive blades? Okay, I can use that." I pushed the trigger, and the claws of the Spear glows hot blue. The claw cuts and burns the first Daemon, splitting it to two. The pieces burns in blue flame as it landed to the ground. Like Misato-san said, the Fallens are not as resilient as the Angels. Simple dismemberment or heavy damage on humanly vital spots such as head or chest is enough to actually silence them. Their multiple numbers are a bit troublesome. But this Angellion clearly lives up to its specification-even though Ibuki-san told me this is only less than one third of its true capability.

First it slices through the next daemon's leg, and before the red creature fell, the next attack bust through its chest. Two Daemons charged, but I/Spear sweep the hand, and slashed their black faces, cutting the upper portions of their heads. Their blood didn't come out as the wounds are burned as well as closed and the Legions around can't regenerate them. The Fallens changed their strategy. The daemons fall back as they took their distance. Their arms turned to gun barrels and shoot. I/Spear activated the AT field. The bullets collided and stopped midair and pulverized themselves as they can't go through the field. The smaller Legions charged from the other side, but I sweep the Angellion's hand, and activated another concentrated AT field. The AT field blocked them all. "Ibuki-san! What else this thing have!? Does it have long range weapon or something I can use?"

"_Wait… here's something… the AT Spear shooter is a unique type of weapon that condense and focus the AT field of the Angellion. Generating a field that will converge surrounding AT field-"_

I struggled under the pressure as they start ganging up. "I…Ibuki-san!!"

"_Just hold the button to charge and then push the trigger when the targeting marks overlap! You have to aim the arm first!"_

There, that's more like it. That I understand. I looked at the screen, the AT field's already there, and I hold the button. A special gauge appeared on the controller showing the energy level. I go with max power. I raised the arm and then I saw a long spike slid out from the exhaust hole on the said arm. I saw a relatively small, but dense, AT field forming on the Spear's palm. I aimed the arm at the hordes of Legion, let the targeting mark overlap… pressed the trigger. The spike quickly sank in, and the AT field was somewhat skewed at the center, and form an extremely sharp, and long, conical spike. It stabbed through the Legion's AT-fields and pierced through several of them in one go-like a spear. I whistled. But that small sense of triumph quickly died out. So I took down about a dozen of them -big deal- there are hundreds more!

All the sudden, a barrage of attacks burst out from the direction of the base. I looked and saw the ground soldiers, led by Kensuke, had started open fire again at the Legions.

A screen appeared, with Voice only. But I know that voice. "Ikari-kun! Leave the small fries to us! You and Touji take care those big-bosses!"

The Daemon's on my left were suddenly barraged by a series of large Kunais. Following, the Bane, fully armed; with some extra N2-Kunai launchers on the shoulder blades, and a pair of heavy assault carbines in hand; and reloaded, came crashing into the field, colliding with a bunch of Daemons as it goes. It gave some distance between them and us. And then, another transmission from Touji.

"Shinji. Back then, you didn't fight… was it because you know I was in there?"

"Yeah. I…"

"Well… then it's not your fault. You've made your choice. You chose to sacrifice your life for my sake. Your father chose to save you, but chose to use that accursed system anyway. If you think about it… it's not everyone's fault. Shit happens. That was just ain't my day." He smirked at me through the screen.

"Touji…"

"Let's say we save the chitchat for later and let's kick their asses."

I smiled. "Yeah. Let's." We charged together towards the enemies. I jumped first, locked on one of the Daemons and shoot the AT spear. Unfortunately, the spear didn't manage to penetrate the Daemon's AT-field and bounced off. "Even at max, it's not enough?"

"_Uh, Shinji-kun? This is Ibuki! I forgot to tell you, the Spear-arm is actually incomplete, so it may not be able to be used on a stronger AT field. If you want to penetrate them, you might have to go point-blank!"_

"…" I groaned inwardly. Point blank it is. The Daemons seem determined not to let me get close at all cost, and so they turn their arms into those gunbarrels, and shoot together in conjunction with their flash beam attacks! I roared over a comment by Makoto-san that my Synchro-rate skyrocketed. The Spear moves exceedingly fast, avoiding all the bullets and the beam blast. At this speed, I could even almost see the projectiles used by those Daemons! Soon, I closed my distance, pierce through their AT field, and grab hold one of them by the face, and then pressed the trigger. The blast went through its head, and black blood burst out. So they do bleed. As I let go the dead Daemon, another Daemon tried to make some distance, but using Spear's speed, I closed that distance and crashed Spear's claw through its gut. The claw stayed inside, and I pushed the trigger like that. The red giant's head exploded. That's 4 down. 9 more to go!

The Bane only had jury-rig repairs, so as far as I can tell, it seems to focus itself on long range support. Good. That way, Touji's chance of survival is assuredly high. The problem now is that we cannot go on a prolonged combat. And my weapon had to be shot up-close since it can't generate power strong enough to… wait… what was it that Ibuki-san said? Not exactly power… the Arm focus and converge AT-fields into spears, it didn't produce the AT-field-per se. The Nero-Angellion did that… the Angellion… and the Daemons. The Spear is only 30 percent output so his AT-field isn't exactly strong enough… But it's still strong enough to elicit an AT field response from the Daemons. I jumped before Touji/Bane and rush forward. Touji understood that I want to go up close and personal and so he provided long range support.

The Spear rushed through the barrage of bullets and beam attacks. They're more intense, and I probably wouldn't be able to dodge them all if it weren't for Touji/Bane covering me by shooting some of the projectiles away. I generated the AT-field, and focus them on the AT spear-shooter-arm. The distance quickly closed down and our AT fields collides. I smirked as the plan going smoothly. The other Daemons gather together, to strengthen the AT field. Ha. It's getting even better than I expected. I smashed the Spearshooter to the conflicting AT-field. Max power. The spike slid out. The giant AT field suddenly shrunk. Overlap the targeting marks. Trigger pressed. "AT-SPEAR-SHOOTER! FIREEEEEE!!" The spike sank in, and the result: a large, long AT-spear that burst through all the targets, tearing all 9 of them apart, and the Spear shooter shattered due to the stress. The giant spear went through the daemons and hit several crimson crosses in the sky. Upon contact, the crosses exploded brilliantly in a chain reaction, taking out other crosses, which also exploded. The explosions formed a series of Christian crosses.

**000000000000**

At the bridge, Fuyutsuki was on his feet when he saw Shinji's fight.

Misato smiled. "Wow…well… Granger-san… you asked me… was the child worth the effort. Does THIS answer your question?"

Granger didn't listen. He was too preoccupied staring at the monitor.

Rei smiled lightly. "And thus the counter attack signal is honorably raised."

**000000000000**

I looked around from the cockpit. There are still a few Red Crosses left on the battlefield, but all the Daemons have been taken out. All that's left is just the numerous amount of Legion swarming allover the battlefield. The battle's far from over. I took a deep breath and grasped the controller tightly.

My father destroyed this world with his instrumentality. I rejected it and in doing so, in a manner of speaking, I created this world. People have to hurt to change. That's what I said. And if that's the case then I will hurt. I will hurt more than anyone and share their pain. Maybe when I've changed myself enough, I can change this world.

This time, for the better.

This time, I will sit and do nothing…no more.

**000000000000**

**000000000000**

**000000000000**

This is an experimental fanfic. One to defeat my Writer's Block, two: I try to write a story from mostly a first person perspective in this case, Shinji's. Critics, flames… anything I can use to improve is very much welcome. So please… review.

Chapter 2 will come… but it may take a while.


	2. Souryuu Asuka Langley

This time, a take on Asuka's point of view. A year before Shinji woke up. Unedited.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

**Prologue 2:**

**Souryuu Asuka Langley **

**Asuka POV**

Let's start from the beginning. The first thing I saw when I woke up was his face… and his hands were choking me! I moved my able hand and caress his cheek. And he still won't stop.

"I feel… sick…"

And he stopped. He fainted right on my lap, my sight gone blurry, and everything gone dark.

The next thing I saw when I woke up was my mother smiling. "Asuka. Guten morgen."

"Guten morgen, Mutter."

Mama? I heard myself spoke. But… I'm not sure my lips are moving. And that woman… she is my mother. Wait… What's going on? I'm looking through someone's eyes. No… wait… this someone is walking to the mirror… and I gasped. It's me! Or… me when I was 4.

Did I return to my childhood or something?

No wait. If that's so, how come I can still think the way I do, and this girl seem unbothered with whatever I'm thinking? So my present mind is separate from this body?

"Sort of."

I turned around… and saw myself. A lot of me. "W…what the…"

"Relax. We're all you." A mean looking 'me' answered.

"Heh?"

"Well… parts of your personality anyway, ahaha!" A cheery looking 'me' continued.

"Parts of my… personality?"

"Yeah. Every one of us." A gloomy looking one.

One of my eyes twitched. There are dozens of me. All ranging from a series of emotions as reflected in their faces, in a rather exaggerated tone to boot. From ones that I knew straight away; like one with schoolgirl crush; to ones that… well… I'm not even sure what kind of emotion some of those expressions convey. More importantly, some of these so-called-parts of my personality. I'm not even sure I had those traits.

"I'm temper." The Angry looking me introduce herself.

"I'm your infatuation." The schoolgirl crush me followed.

"I'm your cheerfulness."

"I'm your sadness."

I was a bit… overwhelmed.

"Never knew you had this much personality, did you?" Another voice called to me. I turned around and saw a small girl… me when I was still a little child. Other personality walks away. This one… I can't interpret. What is she? She smiled politely.

"Mutter! Mutter! I'm chosen! I am special! Mutter!"

I averted my attention for a second and looked towards the image of me when I was chosen as Eva-02 pilot. 'Oh no… this is… this is when…'

The little girl opened the door… only to see her mother hanging by the neck. I'm not quite sure I screamed that hard that day. Or maybe because I'm hearing from a third person perspective in some way, it was loud. I don't feel as burdened as before though. Maybe because I knew now that it was my mother inside 02.

And then, my life kinda like skipped to when I'm with my grandma. "Asuka, you're a strong girl. But it's okay to cry you know."

"No way, grandma. I had to take care of myself from now on. I have to look after myself. I can't rely on anyone. That's why I must not cry."

"But you did." I looked at the one who made that comment. The me with tears trickling on her eyes. Sadness. "You eventually cracked."

"Though you created us, from that point onward." Cheerfulness. Pride. Temper. I frowned at their expression. They deliberately made the expression to look like it was made up. Maybe that was the point. All my tough acts, all my behavior… they were just a front. A front to this.

Another skip and I was training for piloting in Eva-02. It was a simulation using datas of Angels appearing in Tokyo-3.

"I scored pretty high in this mock up." One of me spoke proudly, the Pride.

"Yeah right." I groaned. 'Real Angels were nothing like these stupid simulations…'

"Asuka, you will be stationed in Japan." Kaji reported my transfer. 'I' jumped in joy.

'If only I knew that would be my undoing, I probably would never go…' I sighed.

"But is it really your undoing?" The little me spoke again. Still with that polite smile.

And then, aboard the UN fleet that escorted 02…

"Well… I heard he took down an Angel on his first ride… without any training at all." Kaji told me for the first time the story of Shinji. The Child who pilot an Eva without training. I spent almost all my life to master every aspect there is to know about Eva… and this guy beat me to the beat.

"I thought I was special… there was someone else who seem to be more special than I." Another pair of me spoke. Envy and Jealousy.

"But I covered it up by saying Eva-01 is a test-type. Whereas 02 are battle purposes." Pride.

"And then, to show off, I decided to show Shinji my Eva." Arrogance and Insecurities talked together. "And then when an Angel attacks, I piloted the unit together with him on the helm."

"We won but…" another me sighed. She got the look… of a victor. Superiority.

"But then, well… I didn't do it alone." I back away from this one. It got the look of a loser. Inferiority. "It was slight. But I was born then."

I snapped. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING!? WHY AM I HERE? I KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED, SO WHY I HAVE TO SEE THIS!?"

"You know what had happened… but you haven't accepted it yet." The small me answered.

And then the image of the joint fight with Shinji against that twin Angel.

"Only slight. But I begin to respect Shinji's skill then." Acceptance. "And, deep down inside, I kinda enjoy the time I spent training with Shinji."

I gaped and red mark colored my cheek. "I…!"

"Though it is an important point to note that at this point of the time, there's also a tint of liking."

"NANNIII!?" Now my face is redder of anger than embarrassed. "JUST IN WHAT WORLD WOULD I TAKE A LIKING IN THAT STUPID SHINJI!?"

"Well… I wouldn't be born that day if you didn't." Affection smiled sheepishly.

"But as always, I had to get in the way." Pride answered again. "I got in the way on a lot of everyone."

"What?"

"Pride." The small me, it seem the one in charge of all this, answered. "Pride always got in the way. You got too much pride for your own good, that you never realized some things. Like this particular moment here…"

I looked at the next image and my eyes widened. It was me, KISSING that IDIOT SHINJI!?

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!! GYAA! GYAAA!! DON'T LOOK! DON'T LOOOOK!!!"

"Teehee… but we've seen it." The small me chortled. "All of us did. We are all you."

I looked at all of them. Right… they're all parts of my emotions. My feelings. Even the suppressed ones.

"Indeed… this thing between you and Shinji-kun… are quite complicated."

"There's me." Love raised her hand.

"And me." Hate followed.

"Genug (Enough)."

The little me looked at me. I hate that look. "Nanni?" She asked ever so innocently.

I hate her altogether! "I SAID ENOUGH!!"

And with that, the images of my life suddenly went berserk and chaotic. "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO!? ELICIT SOME GUILT!? SOME SELF REMORSE!? REGRET!? INFERIORITY TO THAT BAKA SHINJI!? WHAT!? S… SO THAT I KISS AND MAKE UP WITH EVERYONE!? WHAT DO YOU WANT!? WHY ARE WE HAVING ALL THIS!? **ANSWER ME!!"**

I heaved and panted. I never knew I can scream that loud.

The little-me looked at me. Her smile disappeared for moment. But then her smile back again. God help me… I want to tear that smiling lips off. "I can understand… that I _am_ your least favorite emotion."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHH!!" I lunged at her and had both of my hands on her little neck. I grasped as hard as I could, choking her. She still passive, no sign of resisting at all.

"I feel sick." She answered.

And then I paused. A giant image at my back suddenly showed the image when that baka Shinji choked me. I don't need to see it to know that my position mirrored his perfectly.

And then I saw water flowing on her eyes. Tear? No. Another drip fell on her cheek. Then I realized: It was my tear. I was crying.

"…those words… were the first honest word you said to him."

"…what do you…?"

"…ask yourself Asuka… did you ever…for once… tell him how you TRULY feel… without having your pride get in the way?"

"…"

Everyone's gone. Only me and her left.

"I…"

"…you have to go now."

"What?"

"You can't stay here forever."

And then everything suddenly starts skewing.

"What?"

"Don't worry. I'm always here. But you cannot stay like this." Her little hand rubbed mine softly. "You have to wake up. But don't worry. I'm always here. We're always here."

She doesn't make any sense… none of this makes sense… and then the nothingness that was the floor turned into real concrete floor. And that little me turned… Into her.

God.

Help.

Me.

I.

Loathe.

Her.

So.

FUCKING.

LIKE.

Hell.

"Second. Will you please let go of my neck?"

"A…Ayanami?"

But something's different with her. Her hair's longer, and she seem…all grown up. And then I noticed her clothing. It resembled the cloth worn by the commander… Baka Shinji's father. Though more light colored.

"Second." She repeated.

And then as I let go of the grip slightly, and I became more aware of my surroundings. The floor is somewhat dirty and there's quite some dirt and blood smearing them. I looked around and noticed this is a hospital ward. IV, pulse detector, the lot… And then I looked at my arms. And then I noticed: first, my right arm bandaged. And I can't see a damn thing through my left eye. And then I also notice several people in soldier's attire and carrying guns came rushing in, barrels pointed at me.

"Second?"

I looked down.

"Second. You're heavy." Her red eyes met my azure ones.

Still with that monotone emotionless sentences. I slowly got up, but I found my leg fails me… and so does my whole body… how in the world did I managed to strangle her? Ayanami waved her hand. The soldiers put down their guns. Whoa… she got some authority here…

"W…r G..rl? W… Where… w…fwhat?" I was trying to say Wondergirl, but my lips felt like they were made of lead.

"You've been in a coma and vegetable, for two years since the third impact."

"To a… haf… c…a what…"

"Rest. Everything will be explained."

I don't get all this… and I don't think I'm gonna like this…

**000000000000**

"Second has woke up."

"Second… ah, Asuka Souryuu Langley… yes?" Fuyutsuki was reading a report from Rei.

"Yes."

"You sound a bit… disappointed?"

"No, I'm not."

The old general chuckled. He looked around, they're alone in the room. "Off the record? When you're at my age, you pick things up."

"…"

"Well… maybe you're juts upset it's not Shinji?"

"…"

"Come now girl. I know what you are _now_. You're _not_ that Rei. Not those clones… or whatever. You are you. You, are just Rei. Just… human. Try to lighten up a little."

"…can I go now?"

Fuyutsuki sighed. "Right. Have she been debriefed of our current predicament?"

"Remembering her possible reaction, I can only send one person."

**000000000000**

It's been a while since they've finished… what was it…? Oh yeah… putting me back in shape. Yet I still can't see through my left eye, and apparently I still can't feel my right arm. I looked around with only one eye. Kinda weird. It was as if a part of my sight were blackened out. And I couldn't move my right arm. What the hell is going on? I looked at the bandaged right arm… and a curiosity as well as annoyance kicked in. I slowly began tearing through the thick bandages. But as layers upon layers of bandages torn away… the feeling suddenly replaced by dread. Because the bandages grow thinner and thinner, and at this rate, it seems that there are more bandages than my own arm. And then… when I finally removed the final layer of the bandage… I stared…

I swore… I could've vomited.

And then another dread suddenly consumed my mind. I looked for a mirror and there I saw my face, bandaged. Impatiently I tore through those damn bandages over my eye. And then… when finally the last bandage is removed…

Where there were supposed to be an eye, all I saw was a gaping hole and part of the skull socket. I screamed. "!!!"

And the door slid open, and a worried Misato came rushing in. "Asuka?" She stopped short when she looked at me, noticing that I have removed most of my bandages. And she understood straight away the reason for my outburst.

"M… Misato… W… What the fuck… happened to my…"

"Why don't you first sit down and we'll explain everything."

And then she told me a hell lot of things: Starting with the part where she told me how that baka Shinji rejected instrumentality and saved the world… somewhat. Then came the Invasion. The Fallens. The creation of Fallen Hunter squad with that Wondergirl Rei as the leader. And then construction of Tokyo 4 to fight off the Fallen War. Of how REi bought the survival of the EX Nerv members using her Nero-Angellion project. Etc, etc.

I'm not sure I enjoyed the part when Misato told me that whiny Shinji saved the world. Something inside me suddenly boils in fury. "What's the big idea here? Did that guy saved the world or condemn it?"

"I'm not sure what happened either. Maybe both."

"Heh… not much of a mr. Hero eh?"

Misato seem a bit displeasured by my attitude. Like I care. "Do you have a problem?"

"No… but you haven't answered my question either. How did I end with… what's left of it for an arm…and an empty socket for an eye?"

"Well, the last time you have them, you fought against 9 Mass Production Evas. And with the amount of damage they inflicted on unit 02, and what's with your synchro rate through the roof, the feedback is… hazardous."

"…and now we're still at war hmm?"

Misato tried to comfort me. "Look. Technology had advanced. Remember Touji? He lost his ability to walk after that accident with 03. He use cybernetic enhancement to walk again. I used cybernetic enhancement to heal myself. We can do the same to you."

"What makes you think I want that mechanical stuff in me?"

"Well… it's stopgap. We can make it as human as possible… if you want to."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Just don't feel like it. Plus… human like skin need a lot work and maintenance. Given our current predicament… and my line of work, fixing my skin whenever it's torn is a luxury. And I don't have the time for that."

"You call it… the Fallen?"

"Well… yes. You know the story of… Angels fallen from grace became devils? I don't know who use the term on those creatures first but, given their nature, it seems appropriate."

"So. First Angels. Now Devils. Very original." I didn't hide the sarcastic tone. "So you're telling me our fight with the Angels…"

"Fight."

"What?"

"No. I like your choice of words. Our battle with the Angels was just a 'fight'. But with these daemons… it's like… all out war." She rummaged her jacket and produced a disk. The disk showed the map of the whole world. The countries were divided into blue, yellow and red areas. As I see it, as expected, very few are blue. Yellow holds the majority. And there's quite a few of red in there. "Blue represents areas where people still live. They are fortresses so tightly defended, Daemons never managed to get through… so far. Yellow is the area of conflict. Daemons are quite active in these parts and so conflict and skirmishes are abound. Either we turn it to blue areas first… or they turned it into red zones…which are pretty much a hellhole. America barely stand. Europe turned into a wasteland… There are no longer cities. Only fortresses, like Tokyo 4."

"What do they want? The Angels want that big angel we kept on the basement. This time, what those… daemons… want?"

"We don't know. But so far, their appearance… always caused total annihilation. For now, it's safe to assume that whatever they want it involve killing us all."

"What's the point of fighting all those Angels then?"

"Believe me, every EX-NERV member asked that same question in their heads when those Fallens arrived." She stood up and took a walk. "Everything we've sacrificed… all the blood and sweat we've shed. It was as if all had been for nothing."

"Like God spat in our faces… huh."

"These days… I'm not even sure God is on our side."

"Whatever." I'm not about to get all theological about this. Angels. Fallens. Whatever.

"So what are you going to do now?"

Finally. The fucking one million Euro question. "…I want out."

"What?"

"I had enough. You told me there are these blue zones. Then put me there. Whatever this war you had with these… devils… fallen angels… whatever… I don't want any part of it."

She was clearly didn't expect a response like this from me. That is only understandable, remembering how I acted back in the day. "M… May I enquire… why?"

To answer her, I lifted my ravaged arm pointing at the socket that was my eye. "Plus… what do I gain from it? Nothing. I've had enough, Misato-san. I've lost mother… I nearly lost my sanity… it's… enough."

Misato nodded understandingly. "I'm not going to convince you. You're the second EX-EVA pilot that woke up. And… we had hoped that we can get some help… but then again it is your choice."

"Second? Who's the first? Wondergirl?"

"Rei? No. Rei never fell into coma. In fact she's the one to gather the remnants of NERV back together. She's different. Different with all the Reis you might have known her."

"She looks the same to me."

"Well… she's different. You'll see. Anyway, the first pilot to wake up was Touji."

"Touji… as in the fourth children?"

"Yes."

"What about that Baka Shinji? Did he fell into coma too?"

"Yes… and worse. Would you like to-"

"No." I frowned.

"I haven't finished my…"

"I'm not seeing him. No… I don't want to see him." My tone was flat and straight. After that… personality split experience… I'm not sure I want to see him.

Misato tried to retort my statement… but apparently she too doesn't know what to say. Thus she left me alone to my thoughts and walk out of the room. I balled in. I've had enough of this Evangelion shit… of NERV, of Angels, or daemons whatever… most of all… she had enough with one Ikari Shinji.

**000000000000**

"How is it?"

"As expected. She didn't take it pretty well." Misato sighed.

"You know I heard in Munich they've been developing bio prosthethics. I think we can heal her arms and eyes in near future. Give it a couple of years…"

"It's not the matter of physical pain she's suffering." The former-major-now-vice-commander sighed. "Compared to her physical injuries, Asuka suffered most mental damage during the first encounters." Misato remembered particularly when Asuka was ravaged mentally by Arael.

Ibuki frowned. "No matter how good medical knowledge goes, that's one injury that cannot be healed."

"Exactly."

**000000000000**

I lay down on my bed, restless. Is this really what I want?

"No it's not."

Oh no. Not again. "You know, this is a really sick joke." I rose up angrily and saw her sitting innocently on the floor, her leg bent backward. "If you still going to appear in my hallucination, don't gorge my arm and my eye!"

"But this is not a hallucination. This is reality. You know that." The 4 year old me answered ever so solemnly.

"You…! If this is reality then disappear already!"

"Teheehee…" She chuckled. "Just because I appeared for your eyes only, what makes you think I'm not real?"

"Keh…"

"As you know, I'm a figment of your personality." Her smile dimmed somewhat. "And I'm well aware that I'm your least favorite personality."

"Who are you?"

She only smiled. Just then, there's a few knocks on the door and she disappeared before answering my question. Opening the door was the second person I wouldn't want to meet.

"Who are you talking to, Second?"

"None of your damn business, Wondergirl."

She answered my sarcasm with her usual silence. Then she followed. "I've heard the report from Misato. We will arrange you to be transferred to Blue Zone in Munich as soon as possible. Probably this evening."

"Good."

She eyed me with those calm red eyes of hers. I never liked her empty gaze. And now it felt like she's staring at me like I'm some sort of wonder. And it's annoying, naturally. "What are you looking at?"

She sighed and walked towards a console. She pressed a couple of buttons and at the corner of my remaining eye I saw the security camera gone down. Off the record conversation huh? "Quite frankly… I was a bit surprised when Misato-san told me that you refused to cooperate."

"What do you expect?"

"…based on the memories of the Rei inside me, Souryuu Asuka Langley… or Asuka Shikinami, per your paternal lineage, was a far more combative person than this."

My eye twitched at this comment. Was that sarcasm?

She continued on and took a seat. "I'm not going to try to convince you to fight for us. You've lost quite enough already as your visage has done a grand job explaining that."

"Wow… I'm surprised. Misato did tell me that you're different than the Wondergirl that I remembered. You're more talkative for starters." I smirked.

"Do you like me better when I'm not talking?"

I can feel my grin grew bigger. "Nah. It's interesting. So which Rei are you? The second one? Third one? The Thousandth?"

"None of those." She replied calmly. "I'm… a merging of all personality called Rei. I have all their memories, feelings, knowledge. Everything."

"I see. Ha! How convenient!" This time, I didn't even try to hide the blatant sarcasm.

The Wondergirl just sit there, still with that god-damn stone face. And then she uttered a sentence that really tested my patience. "Are you sure you don't want to see him?"

"See who?" I dumbly asked. Idiot. You know who she meant!

"Ikari-kun." She added. "He's still vegetable, and in coma-"

"And what do you want me to do? Kiss him so he'll wake up? This ain't Snowwhite and it's supposed to be the reverse."

She didn't reply again and another period of silence followed. But I couldn't stand the silence and decided to break it. "What else do you want?"

"Who… were you talking to?"

"Like I said, none of your damn business!" I half screamed.

She nodded in an air of finality, reset the camera and exit the room, without a word. I took a plate and throw it to the door where her back disappeared to. God, she always ticks me off one way or another. That much didn't change, no matter how many years had passed.

**000000000000**

"What… was that all about?" Misato was waiting just next to the door.

"…" Rei didn't answer.

"Wait… let me guess… you were expecting that you can use her to wake up Ikari-kun?" Misato teased.

The Blue haired commander turned away. "When will the next Grandliner arrive from Munich?"

"This evening. At 5 PM. It will then leave at 6 PM after we unload. I've made arrangements and she will be on that train, as per her request." Misato replied.

"Okay." She sighed and then walked away. "By the way, please deal with all the paperwork concerning her transfer and everything there is to do with her accommodation, medical permit, and her compensation. I want it in my desk in 15 minutes."

"1…15 minutes to do all that? O…Oi! Ah! Nice joke, Commander Ayanami." Misato gulped. That's a hell lot of paperwork.

"Pay cut."

"Eh?"

"If I don't have that report in my desk in 15 minutes, I'll cut your salary." Rei finalized with a stare and then left. Misato incredulously look at the back of her commander, her jaw open aghast, and then self punishes herself by banging her head to the wall 15 times straight. 'Baka Misato! Know some limit when teasing your superior!'

**000000000000**

An hour later…

Around 3:00 PM…

I am so sick of these people telling what to do. Stay in your room. Don't move too much. Shut the fuck up! This is what's left of my body, I knew about it better than most. They even prepared a crutch for me. Yeah right. I got back on my feet, but all the sudden, I felt my body tilted to the left side. "Eh?" Then I realized, since my other arm was reduced to such state, my whole body was out of balance. Grudgingly I took the crutch and used to support myself up. Grumbling and muttering to myself, I was surprised just how much I have to struggle just to reach the door. But midway, I slipped and fell forward.

The door slide open just at that exact moment, leaving my fall unimpeded straight to the concrete floor. "Ouch!" Don't joke with me! I held the crutch more firmly and push my body up. And slowly, but with great trouble and discomfort on my part, I start crawling away. Midway, I noticed something dripping on the floor. I looked at it and suddenly I realized that my hand is sweaty and slippery. 'Sweat? I'm barely a few meters away from my own damn room!' When did I become so weak? And just then the image of Arael ravaging my mind flashed before me. I gasped and shook my head. I am Asuka Souryu Langley! Pilot (well former) of Unit 02! I'm not gonna fall because if this!

"That's the spirit!"

I blinked and turn my head up and to see her standing by the window.

"Ganbarre! Asuka!" She was cheering me on.

I gritted my teeth. "You again…"

"Ganbarre! Asuka! Ganbarre! Asuka! Ganbarre!" She kept urging me on, her pigtails swing around as her chant rhythms with her childish motion.

Somehow I managed to get close enough to the full blown window. She already took some distance away from me. "You…"

She chortled innocently. "I'm not a blabber mouth all the time you know? And though pride isn't exactly my ally, she has her uses."

I let a scoff escape my nostrils. Indeed, the Pride of a person that is Souryu Asuka Langley did propel me this far. When I think about it, all this time, my pride has been the only thing that propel me. Piloting 02, fighting Angels… I ignored her and looked through the window. My eyes widened slightly. Whoa… how much taxpayer's money they've sucked out to create a fortress this big? And then there's this Nero Angellion I've heard so much about. Sounds like another Evangelion'esque weapon.

"It's ugly isn't it?" I looked at her. For the first time, her solemn smile disappeared. Replacing it were a sad look and disgust. "It smells of gunpowder and steel. Kinda remind you of Germany, did it not?"

For some reason, I don't feel like responding her comment with sarcasm. Well, she did cheer me on. That and at this rate, I'll be running out of it. "We ARE in a Military Fortress. And I did grow up near one."

"But you never like it there, did you not?"

I didn't answer.

"Asuka-chan?"

I turned and saw not the 4 year old me, but Aida Kensuke. The war Otaku, and Shinji's friend. He was wearing a soldier's outfit. "You're… Aida Kensuke… right?"

"Kensuke's just fine." He grinned widely. "You know, you shouldn't move so much."

"Who the hell do you think I am? This much is okay."

"Hmmm?" He looked at me skeptically and pulled out a hankie. "Your sweat says otherwise."

I grab it off his hand and swept my sweat away. "What are you doing here?"

"Iyah. I was on my way from a vending machine over there and grab something to bite." He showed some chocoloate bars, one of them bitten. "Want some?"

"…no."

"Your loss." He gobbled the remaining chocolate with one gulp. "Days like this, you gotta eat up when you got the chance."

"The Fallen?"

"Misato-san had already briefed you right? One time they came at us with number so numerous, Tokyo-4 was isolated for a week, and food became scarce. Of course back then the Nero Angellion haven't been completed yet."

"Nero… Angellion…" Nero… Italian for black. Angellion… Angel… Black Angel? What's with the naming?

"Touji pilot the first Nero Angellion, the Bane. And Rei pilot the Rook. I heard they're constructing two more units. One was being built here… I think it's called the Spear… the other one's being developed somewhere in Europe and nearing completion… I don't know the exact details, but they say that one packs some serious case of overkill firepower-"

"I'm not fighting."

"Eh?"

"I'm not piloting anymore." I showed him my ravaged right arm and my gouged out left eye. "I quit. I've had enough of this."

He looked at me as if questioning my sanity. "B… But… No-WAY! Come on. Rei and her Rook is the greatest, but… lately even she sometimes got beat up more than once!"

"What can I do? I've done enough…lost enough…"

"Asuka-chan, wanna come with me for a moment?"

"?"

First he brought me to an elevator and then we went like… first around 1-2000 feet underground. Throughout the journey the see through elevator allowed me to get a good look on what's around. The first thing I saw was a hall filled with rows and rows of machinery and arsenal-including Tanks, Airplanes, Chopters, etc. "As you can see this is the armory." His tone was almost robotic. During the trip, I get the chance to get a better look at his visage. I saw a few scars and small bruises in his feature. And he's wearing a military hat, but there's no doubt he had shaved his hair. Did he get himself into a fight or… wait… that's not a toygun or some real size model resin kit he's shouldering on his back right now. That's a genuine M-16 battle rifle. He couldn't have… "Kensuke… you're… drafted to the army?"

He answered with a sad painful smile. "Sort of. Out of need."

When we've reached 8,000 feet I saw something that made my mouth opened aghast. A giant skeletal thingamajig is being stored there in a crucified position. Countless bloody, fleshy black muscle strands are being sown using massive robotic arms to cover its bones-which seem to have some cybernetic implant being surgically grafted into them. Parts of the creature were being covered in armor. Its head was bandaged allover. But blood profusely dripping from it. And it doesn't look like a humanoid head. And it was huge! Well, Evas were huge too.

"That's the Spear. As you can see, it's still under construction."

That level disappeared after 10000 feet. Around 11000 feet, Kensuke continued his explanation. "On 11-13,000 feet is Angellion maintenance 'warehouse'. 14,000 to 15,000 is Angellion Graveyard and research center. Prototypes that never make it are being used to further develop Angellion related tech. 17-19,000 feet… no idea. Top Secret. Only a couple of higher ups can get there. What I want to show you… is on 20,000 feet below the surface.

As he said it, the elevator did stop at 20,000 feet.

"Rei and everyone agreed. This must be at the most bottom level, the level that must be protected at all cost."

When the door opened, my eye widened. Rows upon rows of small white tombstones can be seen erected on a large patch of green grass. It almost looked like a pin cushion. The ceiling were metallic and constantly emit light. At a distance, I saw something that looked like a huge creature… or something.

"A… graveyard?"

"Yes." Kensuke removed his hat to respect the dead, revealing his shaved hair, military style. "…before the Angellion was there… Before Rei perfected her defensive grid system… we often mount a stubborn but costly resistance. We had casualties, hundreds… every week… thousands every month."

"But we don't bury the dead. These are all just memorials. Monuments to remember them. The body, we destroyed them, recycled them to organic material for food and sustenance for others."

Just then, we saw a couple of people walking towards us.

"Ah, Captain Aida!" One of the soldiers saluted him. Kensuke saluted back.

_Captain Aida?_ Wow… he really traded it up.

"Here to visit Sever again, Captain?"

"No. Just showing my friend here something. Were you visiting your little brother again, Corporal Long? What did you tell him?"

"I tell him… he'll have to wait up there a little longer. And to keep training using those toy arrow I gave him." The soldier smiled sadly. Kensuke nodded.

"Don't worry. He'll have plenty of time to prepare. Though when he meet you again, you're probably gonna freak him out."

"Why is that, Captain?"

"Because you're gonna live so long, when he met you, you'll be a wrinkled scary old man!"

The soldiers chuckled and Kensuke also grinned. The soldiers saluted again and then left. I looked at that man board the elevator and departed.

"That man's is Corporal Long Xi Liang. A Chinese and he serve under me. His brother, Long Xi Fei was only 6 around half a year ago. Today was his 7th birthday – post mortem." Kensuke looked at the large figure entombed at the center of the Graveyard. That's when I realized the features of the giant at the center. It looked like an Eva… or at least… it used to look like one… It was ravaged and you can see various bite marks on it.

"…what was that?" I asked.

"That was my Angellion. Unit-02. The Sever. It was built in tandem with the Bane as twin testype. Though… it was… well, less fortunate."

I looked at him.

"A year back, Touji just woke up, and Angellion was still in its development state. You can expect a lot of bugs and errors in the way, even using Rei's expanded knowledge." He began his story. "From what I know, the Bane and the Sever were still prototypes built using different baselines. The idea is to see which one is better and then we'll continue and expand from there. During our first combat, the Daemons quickly overwhelmed regular troopers. We both, somehow, managed to activate the two. At first we were winning. But something… went wrong with the Bane. It shut off in mid combat. I was the only one left. I was… desperate." Kensuke closed his eyes, as if remembering a sad memory.

I kept listening.

"There was only one fully operational Angellion, but there were countless of them Legions and Daemons. They almost look like they cover the horizon. I had to protect the Bane and the citizen, but there was only so much one unit can do. Private Liang's little brother was just one of many I failed to save. And then… Sever and I went berserk. Thanks to that, we managed to somehow avoid total annihilation and beat back the Daemons… but that is after they cannibalize Sever half to hell. Still, Sever is the first Angellion, and I quote, "the First Nero-Angellion to achieve a decisive victory over the Daemons." This one little achievement earned Sever a place among the dead here as a monument. Later research into what remained of Sever also allowed the flaws within the Bane and the subsequent series to be perfected."

I kept staring at him… and then I noticed something. Something is… blinking and pulsing underneath Kensuke's cheek. "…Kensuke… you…"

He turned around and looked at me. He showed me his arm and faintly I can see cybernetic pulsing coursing underneath not just his arm… but the entirety of his lower body starting from his lower jaw down. I swallowed a gulp.

"After that of course, the Angellion start to fare better. Much better. Victory report starts appearing wherever an Angellion is positioned. But people still die. As of this moment, for all I know there's only three fully operational Angellion in this entire world: The Rook, The Bane, and-"

"_Captain Aida, please report to the Hangar bay immediately."_ A female voice blared from the intercom.

Kensuke paused and then start walking back. "Do you want me to escort you back to your room?"

"I can go by myself thank you very much."

He mouthed a silent "Ok" and raised his hands. But before he left, he whispered his last words to my ears: "How many more must die?"

And then he left through the elevator, leaving me to my thoughts. That Kensuke… he's trying to inspire sympathy from me. Unbelievably it worked quite well. But even when my brain tells me to sympathize… even when my heart knew that this is something worth fighting for… why is it that my soul can't feel as passionate in this matter?

"You're just confused right now… and your pride took quite a beating." My 4 year old self spoke again. She was praying on one of the graves there.

"What do you know?"

"Kensuke's story. Doesn't it remind you of a similar situation?"

I jerked and stared at her. Hate piercing through my widened eye into hers. "DON'T! I… Don't want to…remember that…" Too late, the memory when those 9 white monsters start feasting upon unit 02… upon me… raping my soul…

"Like I said. Your pride took quite a beating." She finished her prayer and look at the monument that was Kensuke's Angellion. "Perhaps it is fate that his Angellion is also a unit-02, don't you think?"

I grinded my teeth in anger and marched upon her, intent on doing her harm. But in my anger I slipped and fell, face first. And when my face turned towards her again, she's gone. I looked at the ground. I used an empty nameless tombstone to help me get up. It was well polished and I can see a perfect reflection of my own face. When I saw it, suddenly I felt that the bandage that covered my right inexistent eye is the only thing worth looking at in my face. Like a white flower stuck on the ugliest thing on earth.

When did I… become this disgusting? And with that in mind, before I knew it, I was crying. Crying as hard as my throat allowed me to.

My pride… the thing that made me Souryuu Asuka Langley… is gone.

**000000000000**

Shigeru was playing an air guitar, Hyuuga was reading something on the computer and Ibuki was simply reading an old magazine. All in all, everyone was bored out of their skull. Yes, Asuka did wake up. But after the little accident of her temper tantrum throwout, no one dared to get close within a mile from the red head.

Granger looked at the trio of the EX Nerv crew and sighed. "I swear, I start to think you three have too much time."

"Well… we're practically had nothing to do until another attack."

"You guys can train. To the shooting range, or heavy lifting or something… You slack off, let your guard down and the Fallen will get your ass you in a heartbeat!"

The trio looked at the old general and then to each other. "The last time an angel came here, we didn't even get the chance to grab a gun while he can level a few city blocks with a stare."

"…" Granger turned to Misato who, much to his ire, was hip deep in a pile of paperwork. "Say something. You're their superior for Christ sake!"

"DON'T TALK TO ME RIGHT NOW! I've just lost a quarter of this month's payment, and now another quarter IS IN JEOPARDY!!!" She was quite hysterical. Granger couldn't say anything and raised his arms.

It was then that the alarm chooses to blare up. Upon hearing the alarm, the bored expression and the hysterical hysteria of the Trio and the Sub-Commander, respectively, disappeared. The trio grabbed their headphones and gets to work. "They're coming from the west side."

"Scramble the order!" Granger roared.

**000000000000**

At the armory…

Kensuke grabbed another M16 and roared. "COME ON YOU JARHEADS, STOP BEING MONKEYS AND BE A MAN!"

"YEAAAHH!!" The soldiers roared as they went outside. Most of them wearing a heavy and protective powersuit. Only Kensuke didn't wear anything but standard Kevlar jacket and a couple of ammunitions and det-packs.

**000000000000**

I was wondering what on earth happened as I was stuck on the elevator when the computerized female AI voice informed me.

"_Heavy Fallen activity detected. Base power will now be diverted from unnecessary systems to defensive power grid."_

"Nanni? But I'm stuck here! Divert power to the elevator even just for a second will you?"

"_Unable to comply. Power diversion during a skirmish requires permission of the Commander or Sub-Commander."_

"And who are they?"

"_Commander Rei Ayanami and Sub Commander Misato Katsuragi."_

A lightning just fell off my head. WHAT THE FUCK!? That Kensuke turned into Captain, that I can understand… but that WONDERGIRL turned into a COMMANDER of an ENTIRE BASE!? Oh hell. Yes. The world really IS doomed.

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! I WANNA GET OUT!!" I roared out my frustration.

"_Unable to comply. Power diversion during a skirmish requires permission-"_

"Blablablayaddayaddayadda. Okay. That's it!" It was… strange. With just one hand I start opening casings, unplug cables and start rewiring things. Before long, I've turned a small elevator servo into a portable touchscreen all in one mini PC. "Please do not temper with this unit's hardware. Physical temperance may cause irreparable damage to the system. Please do-111011010101110101010101-" The AI voice went static. My fingers twirling as it swiftly moved from one icon to another, rewriting the entire coding system for the elevator system. "First rewrite all the binary codes back to zero… and then rewrite everything from scratch. Creating a new separated AI using this one as the base and then the system. Ah! Wait a minute. While I'm at it, I can just hack into the central command, probably left a joke note or E-bomb or something… wait a damn minute. How did I know all this stuff all the sudden?

I thought of it for 5 seconds, and then I came to the conclusion. "Nah. I'll think about it later. Now… let's get working shall we?"

**000000000000**

The soldiers on the walls of the Tokyo-4 Fortress gulped as 5 Red Crosses appeared and pour down hordes upon hordes of Legions which seemingly covered the whole battlefield like a black ocean. The daemons, with their Eva-like appearance and sizes along with their red umbilical cables stuck out among the flock. The area around Tokyo 4 distorted, a sign that the AT field has been activated.

The black wave collided with the invisible wall. The small but numerous Legions enacted their relatively weak AT field and try to push their way through the Fortress' Field. While the Daemons waited outside the barrier, seemingly waiting for their lesser variant to unleash as much havoc as they can until it's their turn. However, some began battering the field with a series of beam attacks which exploded in a reversed cross explosion. The AT field blocked the powerful attacks, but unable to fully block the pinprick intrusion made by the abundant Legions. The combination of the two see that at most 3 out of 5 Legions were pulverized midflight as their AT field were destroyed. The rest managed to somehow force their way in, but their AT field were already corroded.

Kensuke moved to the position and roared the order. "FIRE!"

In unison, every gun and launchers in that base roared. The mobile Infantry on the ground target the smaller Legions while the turrets concentrate on the larger Daemon. Three Positron cannons began to hum, gathering energy. The Legions who managed to get in were swooped by the merciless barrage from the infantry. Some who were fast enough zoomed past the hailstorm of bullets and missiles and went towards the Positron Cannon, sensing it as a threat. Some of the soldiers quickly redirect their fire to the skies, and managed to take down a few, but some managed to slip through. The automated AA battery around the Positron Cannon activated and began barraging incoming threat. Tag that with a couple of missile batteries, the Legion were kept away from the main cannon. 10 seconds later, the Positron Cannons had finished charging and fired in concert. The blast rip went through the Fortress AT field and headed straight to three Daemons. The Daemons activated their significantly stronger AT field. There's a moment of struggle between the Positron Blast and the AT field, but the blast finally went through, albeit slightly bent. Two Daemons ended up with only a blown off arm and the other lost a leg.

At the command center, Shigeru growled. "What the hell… they've figured out a way to tackle Positron Cannon already?"

"_They are a learning creature."_ Rei's voice blared through the intercom._ "Have the Positron Cannon at the west wall concentrate on one Daemon at a time. They can barely bend one blast. Let's see how they fare against three at a time."_

"Right you are, ma'am. Tower! Concentrate on one Daemon at a time!"

In the hangar…

Rei, wearing a darker colored plug suit, looked at the situation outside with her palmtop. Given the situation, Rook is needed. "Sub Commander, get ready the launcher at gate 51, I'm going in with the Rook."

"_Yes ma'am… wait… wh… what? Ibuki, are you sure?"_

There's a faint voice coming from unmistakably panicking Ibuki.

"What's the matter, Sub Commander Katsuragi?"

"…_Ibuki just reported. There's an unidentified intruder hacking through our system on Lv. 9, sec 43."_

Rei's eyes widened knowing what's in there. She immediately turned to the soldiers and spoke quite loudly (unnaturally loud for her quiet disposition). "You two come with me right now! And give me your side arm."

"Yes Ma'am." Sensing the urgency in their commander's unnaturally loud tone, they readied their weapon and handed one handgun to Rei before following her to the elevator.

At the command center, Misato received a call from Kensuke on the field.

"_Misato-san! It works! The combined Positron cannon just punch through their damn AT field like glass… But the MI can't wait for the Positron Cannon to charge and take them on one by one! Where's the Rook?"_

"We got some problem here on our own. There's an intruder inside the base, and Ayanami's rooting it out."

"_What!? How?"_

"Unimportant. Just hold out your ground as long as you can okay?"

_"DAMN!" _A loud explosion can be heard as the communication went out.

Granger frowned. "What's so important in that level that even the Commander herself had to be there?"

"The most important part of this fortress; so important that only Rei and I have access to go there. It houses several top secret materials, but that's not the problem here. That level houses the control system for the AT field of Tokyo 4 AND the mainframe for the New Ark. Somebody took out that place and…"

"Good God." Granger gulped.

Outside, slowly but sure, the Legion began to get close to the Wall, using the carcasses of their dead as a makeshift cover for the Infantry's barrage. One flying Legion managed to dodge all the bullets shot by an Infantry and already landed right in front of his face. At close range, the creature looked like a squid with countless eyes and mouths, but the only face it has are the black eyeless mask. Myriad arms and claws appeared from its mouths and ready to tear him apart. The soldiers grouped together and gang up on this one Legion but it had managed to re-enact its AT field again. And though the bullets began to corrode the field, it was not deteriorating fast enough.

"N… NOOO!" the soldier was about to be flayed alive when something like a whip slither around the Legion, cut through its AT field and slice him apart. The soldiers turned to see Kensuke just withdrew a hot whip-like weapon back to his cybernetic arm.

"Come on! GET BACK ON YOUR KNEES SOLDIER!"

As it happened, the three Positron Cannon had finished charging and aimed their cannon at another Daemon waiting outside the AT field. The three Cannons fired and their beam converged into a significantly larger blast. The stream of energy went through another Daemon's AT field and it barely able to dodge the attack.

**000000000000**

"Okay… I'm the master, you're my loyal servant. Capish?"

"_Crystal clear."_ A far less mechanical computerized voice responded.

"What's your name?"

"_I'm SIERRA: A __**S**__tupendously __**I**__ntelligent and __**E**__xtensive __**R**__emodel of a __**R**__etarded __**A**__I."_ A barely recognizable woman's face appeared on my make-shift mini PC screen as the Avatar for the new AI, SIERRA which I (and I still can't believe I can do it) made on the spot with a bunch of scraps and a servo box.

"Good. Now hack the Prime central power and reroute some electricity to move this damn lift." My Mini-PC are connected to the Lift's servo system, connecting the PC and my AI to the Base's central command.

"_I got you. But this base does not have enough power to bring this elevator all the way to surface. Two locations in particular, drain the most power from this base besides its other more vital functions like Air Conditioner, Lights, and etc, etc. Given the current situation and danger level, they CANNOT be compromised."_

"Name them."

"_I'll show you. Accessing external camera. Stand by for live feed. Sorry if the image will be a little bit blurry." _SIERRA showed me live feed videos and I gulped. At the outside, the infantry were fighting a desperate fight against what seem to be an endless horde of black monstrosity. Aided by the turrets and most importantly the Positron Cannon, they managed to hold out somewhat. But given the way things are… it looks bad. Worse than I imagined, far worse than what Kensuke and Misato told me. _"The most power is being drained by these three Positron Cannons and its defenses. At the present, they are instrumental in taking out the larger class of the Fallens, and thus they cannot be compromised." _

"Point taken. What's the second place that drains most power?"

"_The second place is right here. On the level in which you're stuck right now. According to the blue print of this place, this is a top secret level that can only be accessed by two person: Commander Ayanami and Sub Commander Katsuragi. It doesn't really make sense on how and what, but from what I see; this level generates a massive energy field which protected this fortress from incoming external attack. Something you would call as AT field."_ SIERRA showed me a blue print of the elevator which showed the level I'm currently in. Kensuke told me about this level. Even he, a Captain, doesn't know what's in there.

"AT field. So…we cannot take the power even for just five minutes, can we?"

_  
"You do, and this battle will turn into a massacre in less than five minutes."_

"But I can't be stuck in here forever. SIERRA, can you at least open this door?"

The AI sighed and then,_ "…it's done." _Just as SIERRA finished speaking, the elevator door slid open. Almost impatiently, I unplug all the wires connecting the mini PC to the server and walk out of that suffocating elevator. I looked around, looking for another spot to jack in and found one next to a door. I jacked SIERRA back in.

"SIERRA, open this door."

"_Are you sure about this, Mistress? Getting you out of that elevator is one thing but this is a very restricted area. This is a shoot-on-sight facility for unauthorized entry. You are the unauthorized entrée, you get in there; everyone will be well within their rights to shoot you and leave you carcass to rot. You need about a DOZEN permits for a civilian to-"  
_

"You're quite a mouthful aren't you? Well I did create you using this Base's AI as the core. Probably something they put into you. Anyway, Point dully noted. Do it."

"_The door is locked in an algorithmically changing system in an encrypted code with 10 digit password and electronic biometric scan and ten extremely tricky firewall and its backups. It'll take some time to try a couple of gazillion password variations and trudge through the firewalls without tripping at least three alarms. Would you like to watch a movie while you wait for the next… uh, 10-15 minutes? We have a wonderful selection of movie available." _I don't remember making her with a witty tongue for spouting sarcasms, but who am I to complain?

"Plenty of spiteful comments too I see. Alright, while I wait, show the progress on the outside."

SIERRA didn't answer but she showed me another live feed. The situation outside began to deteriorate. Several defense areas of the Base support turrets have begin to fall under weight of numbers. So far however, the three main Positron Turrets are still standing. The Daemons aren't exactly witty, but they understand danger and now, instead going for a macho parley of blocking the Positron Blast with their AT field, they began dodging the blast, though the shot would still be fast enough to rip a limb or two. But the three main turrets are too slow to keep up with their obviously more fluid and nimble movements of the EVA rip-off. Down below, casualty began to mount. A soldier got a claw pierced through his chest before he was thrown to the sky, where a horde of Legion caught him and rip him apart, limb to limb.

I saw Kensuke fighting as hard as he could. And then I finally see it. The moment his last M16 sent nothing but clicking sound to the enemy, marking that he had ran out of bullets. He threw away his useless gun and flexed his arm. I gasped when two long whip like limb burst out underneath his palms. The whip glowed red and surging with electricity. He cracks his whip repeatedly to the ground, creating a series of gashes on the floor. 6 Legion noticed him and bent downward towards him. The first one get into range and were immediately hacked to two. Using these two as stepping stone, he jumped and spins mid air, swinging his whip. The resulting attack slices several Legion to smaller pieces. The last two haven't learnt its lesson and went towards him. The boy grabbed a sharp claw of a dead Legion with his whips and tossed it to the incoming enemy. The long claw nailed them both at the same time. They were still alive, but Kensuke make a short work of it by slashing them to four pieces with a cross slash.

"Three fully functional Angellion… So that's what he meant." Damn. That wondergirl really got a sick idea.

As I watched on, SIERRA suddenly interrupt the live feed.

"_Sorry to disturb you, but I just finished unlocking the door. It took a shorter amount of time than I had foreseen. But are you sure about this?"_

"OPEN. THE DAMN. DOOR."

"_Very good."  
_

The door slid open as I unplugged SIERRA away and I was welcomed with a sight quite bizarre, so to speak. Overall, I looked like I walked into a room filled with towers. The floor seems to be made of nothing but cables, but that's not my concern. Each Towers support enormous number of capsules not dissimilar with Eva Entry Plugs. Some had sunk in to its slot while other slots are empty and others are still sticking out. I walked closely towards one of the capsules. Something was written on it…

"Dummy-Plug – Type: S. What the heck is this?" And then I looked at other capsules. Dummy Plug type R, Type A, Type T, Type K, and so on and so on. "What's the big idea? What's with this series of Dummy Plugs?" I jacked in SIERRA into a dummy plug. "SIERRA, open it."

"_What's with this uncontrollable urge of yours to open everything that is closed?"_

"If you can't, at least show me the insides. I wanna know exactly what is the Wondergirl working in here."

"_Sigh… una momento."_

I waited quite impatiently. But when SIERRA showed me an image of what's inside, my reflexes made me scream. "WAAAAAHH!" I nearly dropped the mini PC when I saw… Baka Shinji's body inside the capsule filled with LCL. But he look so pale… it doesn't even look like he was alive.

"_My scanner show similar live signs in this room."_

"W…What do you mean?"

"_My scanner detected that this person is still alive, albeit in a chemically induced coma. However, matching his biometric signature, I scan there's about 326 Ikari Shinji in this room, all in the same chemically induced coma."_

"S… She cloned him?" Okay. I know she likes him, but that is just insanely gross.

"That's right." I turned around when I saw her with two guards, pointing their guns at me.

"I know you're a sicko, but I never knew you were this insane!" I roared.

She didn't reply but she turned her head slightly, signing her men to leave the room. She walked slowly towards the capsule containing Shinji's clone body. "Morally, this is wrong. This is not Ikari Shinji. As you might've guessed, this is a clone."

I glared at her, my look saying this doesn't answer my god-damn question.

"The condition of generating an AT field is using biological core. In this case, a human. So I used every resource that I have. I cloned Ikari-kun, Suzuhara-san, Aida-san, myself… and of course, you. And then used these clones as mass produced dummy plugs to generate the AT field."

"Me? You CLONED me as well?"

"To be used as, in layman's term, battery for the AT field generation, yes."

And for that stone toned answer, I socked her in her face. The two guards were a bit surprised at the outburst and went in to intervene, but Rei raised her hand, stopping them in their tracks. I get over her and held her throat on a choke. "How dare you do that to me!?"

"Tokyo-4 is not just a fortress. We are the last defense to protect what's left of humanity. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish that, even if you will hate me for what I'm doing."

"Why do you care!? YOU of ALL people! WHY DO YOU EVEN GIVE A DAMN?" I frantically wringed her neck several times.

She didn't answer. Blood trickling at the corner of her silent lips and her red eyes keep looking at my green one. Silence for five seconds that felt like an eternity until she broke the silence.

"Second, you have to leave this place. I'll have my guards take you to the surface. Right now I'm needed elsewhere. But after I'm done, I will go to you and then you can batter me as much as you want." As she said that, she signaled her guard to grab hold of my shoulder and pulled me away from her.

The four of use get to another elevator (one that I haven't cannibalized) and she dropped off at the Angellion hangar. I was too angry with her to see where she's going. A few minutes later I was on the command bridge, where I met with Misato.

"You? You're the intruder?" an American with heavy moustache looked at me in disbelief.

"My guess is she got lost. It's okay Granger-san. She's safe. Commander Ayanami, are you there? The infantry can't hold out much longer."

"_Open gate 53. I'm ready to launch."_ Came her reply.

And when she said that, I thought I was going to see a modified EVA-00 to just burst out of a hole. How wrong I was. An entire ten city block just moved out of the way, creating a giant hole big enough to sport two football fields. From the hole, a giant thing slowly rose out. The center of its body bears little resemblance with the unit 00. The Angellion was mostly colored in bright yellow, near transparent blue and white. Crimson pulsing veins can be seen flowing occasionally on the unit's surface. It is still a Cyclop, but that's the only similarity I can see. Its chest are elongated and heavily armored with layers upon layers of crisscrossing armor. The most distinctive feature of this unit is its seemingly disproportionally large shoulder, shaped vaguely like halves of an Octahedron, creating a shape of two vertically aligned Pyramids pointing at reverse direction. It has no visible arm to speak off, and it has no legs. The groin area of this monster did split off, but instead of forming legs; it crisscrossed each other in a manner similar to a DNA helix and formed a long serpentine tail. And lastly: that thing is freaking HUGE! Its main body alone is already twice as wide as any Evangellion, and if the tail is to be stretched, it's easily longer than three times the height of the old Eva.

"Is that…"

"That's right." Misato answered, noticing my mouth was opened aghast. "The Nero-Angellion: The Rook."

Rook. A chess piece which took the form of a fortress. As I wonder why on earth they named it like that, I saw the Rook start gathering electricity at the center of its chest, which had opened up revealing its red core.

**000000000000**

A targeting visor screen appeared around Rei's eyes. On the screen, the power indicator is steadily rising while multiple targeting marks are slowly overlapping one another. Outside, the surface of Rook's enormous pyramidal shoulder opened up, revealing eight enormous circular cannon vents. The cannons are humming as electricity trickled around the exhaust.

"AT Reflector activate, maximum output." Rei quietly spoke to the computer. A huge area around the Rook was distorted. A sign that the AT field is being activated. Inside the cockpit, the commander was typing furiously on the keyboard. On the screen, the computer was projecting the path of the attack. Her red eyes spin around furiously, locking as many targets as she can while setting the path of the attack. "Align the target and fire." She muttered quietly, more to herself than to the computer.

"The Rook is here, so why in the name of Shanks with the Long, it doesn't attack!?" An injured British soldier whined.

"You're new aren't you?" Corporal Long was smirking as he was carrying the injured soldier at his back. "Just wait and see. When the Rook fires, it'll be quite flashy."

Inside the Rook, Rei finalized the attack pattern. "Attack chart completed. Estimated accuracy: 75 percent to 87 percent. Deviation: minimal."

A computerized voice announced. _"Positron cannon charge complete in 3, 2, 1. Energy charge complete. Fire when ready." _

Rei pressed the trigger.

On the outside, the Rook raised its entire upper body a bit as the surge of electricity reached its peak. With a loud roar, the Positron Cannons fired, sending 8 streams of proton burst out to eight separate directions. It was seemingly off target, until eight extremely dense AT field appeared and bounced the beams to forward direction. The conical salvo of sustained currents of proton were done in sweeping motion, each cutting a swath of destruction to hundreds of Legions caught in its blast. The barrage burst out of the flock of legion and punctured the real targets: the Daemons. Three beams went through two daemons, ripping them to shreds. One was dodged but tore a daemon's arm's off. Three were barely bent by the daemon's AT field, but it still brutally rip through their faces. And the last one hit two Red Crosses each, creating two brilliant explosion the shape of a Christian crosses.

**000000000000**

If my jaw can go any lower, it will. THE FUCK is THAT!? She used AT field to bounce positron blasts around like a freaking ping-pong ball, and each blast was powerful enough to punch through the Daemon's AT field.

"Enemy numbers down by 36 percent!" Maya announced to everyone.

That's a huge portion of the enemy. So why isn't everyone too happy about it?

"Now comes the 'ouch' part. Have the turrets to back up Rei while the Rook cools down!"

**000000000000**

"_Beginning cooldown process. Estimated time, 3 minutes."_

Smoke flow out ceaselessly from the bright red, overheating exhaust vents of the positron cannons on Rook's shoulders.

"Begin charging for the second volley. Fire after a minute and a half." Rei begin realigning the targeting cursors and chart another course for the Positron Beam.

"_Warning. Incomplete cooldown may result in massive internal damage to the Positron Cannon array due to overheat."  
_

"Understood." She looked down below. The soldiers were fighting desperately as the Legions began to flood through the wall. "But those soldiers don't have three minutes."

With this flashy grand gesture however, the infantry was heartened and began fighting harder. The Legions start focusing on the Rook rather than the positron cannon. Which is a plus on their part. The AA batteries concentrate more on protecting the Rook than the Positron Cannon, which resumed its barrage upon enemy Daemons. But this time, the Fallen took a different approach. The moment the trio of turret fires, the Legion massed together and generated a powerful AT field. It didn't bend the blast, but their bodies acted as a meat shield that chip the Positron Cannon's firepower. When it got through, the blast was barely able to reach its target, and it was stopped by the Daemon's AT field.

Amidst the smoke resulted from the explosion however, another volley of reflected 8 Proton stream screamed out, and this time it successfully destroyed almost all Daemons and Red Crosses, leaving just one Daemon and one Red Cross. However, what remained of the Legion now began to swarm over the Rook.

"AT Field, maximum output!" Rei grunted in the midst of the AI blaring warning that the insides of the Rook are beginning to melt due to massive overheat. Meanwhile, the Legion swarmed together before her, forming a massive black tornado of Legions. The barrage of the covering fire from the AA batteries and missiles did very little to deteriorate their numbers and progress. The blue haired commander gritted her teeth bracing for impact. The black swirl collided with the Rook's AT field. Stalemate for a few seconds, and then the flock of Legions exploded as their AT field exploded on one another. The shockwave also sent the massive Rook down on its back causing massive structural damage to surrounding buildings.

Kensuke immediately ordered the infantry to concentrate their fire to support the Rook. Several legions thrown away by the shockwave landed in their midst, blown half to hell. Grievously injured as they may, they're still a threat. The infantry gang up on them but maintain their distance. A soldier got to close and got its legs ripped off by its claws. One of the soldiers pulled the injured soldier away while his comrades maintain their barrage upon the reeling creature.

Meanwhile on the outside, the Daemon observes how the Rook had fallen. And then suddenly, the Legions changed their erratic move and headed straight towards the AT field of Tokyo 4. Rei realized what's going to happen. She issued another order.

**000000000000**

"_Aim all the Positron Cannon at the Red Cross before the Legion took down the field."_ I heard wondergirl's voice over the intercom.

"Turret! You heard the lady!" Misato roared to the intercom. As she said so, I saw the three Positron Cannon changed their bearings, completely ignoring the Daemon and the Legions, they aimed straight at the Red Cross.

"Shouldn't you fire at the Daemon first? Or the Legions?" I blurted out.

"The Red Cross is the gateway that provides the Daemon with strength. It also emanates radiation of sorts that control the Legions. Destroy the Red Cross, we cut them off their power source and stop their units. Stop their units, stop the battle." Maya explained.

"That sounds like…"

"EVA's umbilical cable, right?" Misato finished for me.

Right. A complete rip-off of the Evas. I looked at the Legions. They are activating their AT field and began corroding Tokyo-4's AT field inside out. The sky went off color several times, signing the fact that the AT field is suffering a massive instability.

**000000000000**

The three Positron Cannon began to hum, gathering energy, and then fired. The streams of proton collided one another and joined into a single more powerful Positron Beam. The beam went straight towards the Red Cross. The Daemon suddenly appeared in between the blast and met the Positron Blast with a blast of its own. The two energy surge met and bent away. The Positron blast rip through the Daemon's arm while the Daemon's blast, by chance or coincidence, punch through the weakened AT field and landed near a building.

In the cockpit of the Rook, Rei's eyes widened when she saw the location of the explosion. "That building is…" Gritting her teeth in an uncharacteristic anger, she propelled her controller forward, forcing the tittering Rook to stand up. "Activate AT reflector, max power."

"_Warning! Positron Cannon array is in danger of total meltdown. Total shutdown of the system for cooldown is necessary to avoid internal-"_

"There's only one target left and the AT field is in danger of collapsing. Available Positron Cannon is insufficient to accomplish the job. Reroute all power of the Rook to cooldown system after this last shot. Objection dismissed."

"_BE ADVISED. Due to the severity of the internal damage, AT field for self defense will not function throughout the charging period. Do you wish to continue?"  
_

"Understood. Ignore defenses on the main body, concentrate what left of the AT fields on the Positron Cannon array until it's ready to fire. Proton Stream course plotted. Begin charging now."

"_Plan accepted. Begin Charging the Positron Cannon Array."_

Electricity began to build up around the Rook. As it did, the Rook began to slither towards the damaged building, shielding that particular section with its serpentine body.

**000000000000**

"What is she doing?" I took note of her peculiar behavior.

"That building… the medical center." Misato looked with concern to the monitor. 'Rei, you…' the sub commander sighed and yelled another order. "Maximize the AT field of Tokyo-4. Use all dummy plugs if necessary."

I blinked when I heard the word dummy plug. _"I used every resource that I have. I cloned Ikari-kun, Suzuhara-san, Aida-san, myself… and of course, you. And then used these clones as mass produced dummy plugs to generate the AT field."_

…she knows about the dummy plugs? Did she know what those things contained?

**000000000000**

The Daemon took note of this particular behavior and decided to go melee towards the Rook, apparently out of fear of its next massive volley. The black eva-lookalike activated its AT field and charged towards the fortress in a beast like manner and collided with the Tokyo-4's strengthened AT field. With its remaining arm it began to hammer the field. Causing it to distort even more. The shock caused by the impact was enough to send shockwave reverberating to the soldiers below.

"Captain, what should we do?"

"Concentrate all our fire on the Legions - don't let them help the big guy to penetrate the AT field. It's the only thing that stands between it and us. All depends on the Rook to shoot that motherfucker down." Kensuke groaned.

"Yes sir!" The MI began shooting towards the flock of Legions sticking to the AT field.

Outside, the Daemon continuously punching the AT field. Midway, it deemed just one arm is not enough, and then its other arm regenerates from a bloody pulp. With this new arm, the Daemon renewed its assault.

"_Charging at 45 percent."_

Rei aligned the targeting cursors at the Red Cross, just beneath the Daemon's armpit.

After a few more dozens of battering, the distortion of the Tokyo 4's AT field grown worse. The Daemons resorted to its final measure: underneath its black mask, a jaw filled with disorganized fangs and teeth opened up and start munching its way through the AT field.

**000000000000**

"Systemic damage detected on the Dummy Plug 20 to 34!" One of the EX-NERV trios, one with the glasses, reported.

"Nanni!?" Misato gasped.

"AT field down by 29 percent!"

**000000000000**

The daemon took another bite out of the AT field. Now the AT field is as thin as paper, literally.

In Rei's cockpit, alarms blaring over the AI telling her that charging has reached 93 percent, but cataclysmic system failure is imminent.

The Daemon gave the fragile AT field a headbutt and it managed to, for a moment, punch through the AT field and its mask flashed. The beam attack was dispersed by the AT field, but one small beam managed to hit the Rook on its left breast area, causing a significant damage. Rei grunted as the pain was transmitted to her body. "I won't move an inch. This place… This place…!"

The Daemon roared and raised its arms. Its muscle suddenly bulge, as if preparing for the final bash.

"_Rei! The AT field can't take much more of this!"_ Misato roared over the com.

At this point however, the charging had reached 100 percent and Rei pushed the trigger. The 8 Positron overheated cannon vents fired another streams of Proton, and like before, it was bounced off by the AT field. However it bounced the proton streams in such way, they converged at one point, producing a massive blast of Positron Beam headed straight at the Daemon and the Red Cross behind it. The enormous blinding blast vaporized any Legion get in its way and obliterates the lower half of the last Daemon while making its way to pierce through the final Red Cross, resulting in the subsequent explosion afterwards.

The legions appeared to short-circuit the moment its so-called power source is gone and began dropping like flies while what's left of the Daemon disintegrate itself. The Rook shut down completely after a series of explosion occurred at various parts of its body and fell; face down, into a spectacular wreck and tremor. The Positron Cannon vents were on fire and well on the verge of melting. Rei still managed to use the last control she has to direct the Rook's fall so that it won't crush the Medical Center.

**000000000000**

"Send the medic to the MI below and quickly get the emergency unit to salvage the Rook and rescue its pilot, ASAP!"

I almost forgot to breathe. Misato's yell brought me back to earth. I've seen Eva's fight before. But never on this scale. That Rook looked like it can probably pummel the Mass Produced Eva with just one salvo of that Positron Ping-pong cannon array, but even something like that were pushed to its limits.

"I'm going to check on the field." Misato announced as she put down her com.

"Wait." Before I can stop myself my mouth spoke. "Can I go with you?"

"Sure." She answered without looking at me, too worried to even bother looking at me I guess.

Soon, I was on board an emergency car with its roaring sirens. At the distance, I saw several similar cars have already arrived on the scene and were dousing the Rook with lots and lots of fire extinguishing foam. The fire had already gone down, but the unit is still smoking hot.

On my way, I saw the medical units had arrived and were giving aid to the Infantry down below. I can see some soldiers were roaring in pain as their limbs are gone. Others were angrily shooting an already dead Legion, spouting hysterical scream over what the monster did to his friend. They were all wounded and none of them are smiling even though they've won the battle. That's because they know it isn't over yet.

"It's horrible isn't it?"

My train of thoughts was stopped for a moment when Misato spoke.

"…" I don't know what to say.

"Back then we had it easy. Those Angels only come one at a time. Incredibly powerful but we can simply focus on one target and create appropriate strategy at a time. The Fallens came at us en-masse, and as you can see, they're capable of strategic formation and thinking, like when they tried to penetrate the AT field."

The AT field. And then I remembered what I saw down there. "Misato-san… did you know that the AT-Field-"

"Was created using Dummy Plugs containing cloned bodies of the Eva Children? Yes. I know. Rei didn't keep any secrets from us. She only allows herself and me to get in there due to security reasons." Misato smiled lightly to me, as if she can guess what I'm thinking. She's doing a good job at it though. "She had no choice. Given the situation and the enemy we faced, infantry is necessary to support the Angellion, unlike before. The AT field is needed to protect them. The strategy is simple: Legions, en masse, can still penetrate the AT field, but they are usually weakened by then and their numbers are significantly reduced, and then the infantry and the turrets will pick them on. The Daemons and the Red Crosses are Angellion's business. The Positron Cannon will act as deterrent to prevent the Daemons from focusing on breaking AT field personally. Though, those energy turrets really aren't suited for prolonged skirmish." Misato sighed. "And their effectiveness had been reduced. They only needed to hold the line long enough until the Angellion can finish off the Red Cross and all Daemons in vicinity."

When we get there, several people in a heavy suit and a giant chainsaw is cutting the cockpit hatch open. After a few moments, the hatch were abruptly tossed away as a capsule not dissimilar with EVA Plug and the dummy plug burst out and its LCL burst out.

"OUCH!!" One of the firefighter crew screamed when a drop of the LCL hit his skin. "It's freakin' hot!"

Before long, the LCL stopped flowing, and a hatch was opened from the inside. A cable ladder descent from the steaming hot cockpit, along with pilot. I don't remember ever seeing the Wonder Girl looked that… exhausted.

Misato quickly ran towards her, and as expected, she fell on her arms, literally, and barely conscious. "Medic room. Sleeping pills. Total rest for the whole day. Right now and no buts." Misato held her close with a worried look in her eyes.

The way I hear it, it's more like an order rather than a suggestion.

"W…Wait… need… to check… something…"

"Oh no, you don't lady."

"He's… in… there…" She pleaded rather desperately.

Misato take a look at her face and sighed. "You brought this to yourself. Why did you have to force the Positron Array cannon to fire before it cooled down?"

"The MI… won't last long… I was late… Legion would've overrun them… if I… wait."

I felt like I wanna curl into a ball and punch myself several times in the face. She could've entered the battle sooner and take her time if only she didn't have to deal with me sneaking around in the restricted floor.

Meanwhile, I saw Misato finally relents. "Alright. But get some first aid treatment first okay?"

After a while, I saw her getting some on the spot patchwork with some bandages on her head. Supported by Misato, she walk slowly through the ruins of the Medical Center. Me? I just followed her around thoughtlessly.

And then, we finally arrived at the spot she wanted to see the most. This place was untouched by the blast. She slid her card and the door slide open. I gasped. I did made a note earlier that I don't want to see him.

But in the end, here I am, standing before him.

It was him. That Baka Shinji.

He was lying there in his bed, so weak and thin. Several infusion cables can be seen hooked up to his small fragile arms. His hair look really long. He must've been like this for quite some time now.

I turn my attention somewhere else. The Wondergirl keep looking at him, longing is evident in her normally emotionless eyes. I never get it. What exactly did she saw in him anyway?

"Well… it's something you also see… though you usually deny it."

Oh God, not now! I glared angrily at the 4 year old me who appeared so innocently, sitting right next to the unconscious Baka Shinji.

"Teehee hee!" And then she quickly disappeared as the wonder sighed and then reverted back to her usual stone faced persona. Well… apparently she didn't intend to make me look like an idiot. Rei looked at my face and then I realized my expression is still locked in an angry mode. I finally sighed. "This one's not a clone, right?"

She shook her head.

I looked at her and then to him. I was in coma to, once… and if she's not mistaken, the idiot jerks off right next to me. I slapped my face. Good God, the only memories I have with him, either it's disgusting or just ticks me off. The times we fight, the times we argue… the list can go on forever. "Anta… Baka-ka? What the hell did you do that you ended up like this?" I flicked his forehead lightly once.

Misato's eyes widened for a moment, but then she smiled anyway.

The wonder-girl looked at me. "You asked me once."

I looked at her.

"You asked me, why I, of all people, care. Why do I give a damn. I give a damn. Because I know a boy who suffered so much from humanity. But in the end, that boy chose to love this world the way it is. So I give a damn."

Hearing her answer I just shook my head and I raised my hands. "I gave up. You and that Baka Shinji are really a pair of idiots."

The wonder girl smiled. For her, being called an idiot of the same level of that Baka Shinji is probably the highest praise. "Back then, I told you can batter me as much as you want. Do you still want to do it?"

"…anta Baka?" I turned away from her. I can see at the corner of my eye Misato was chuckling like crazy.

The wonder girl was probably smiled too. But then she asked me another question. "Second, there's something else."

"Hm, what?"

"Katsuragi-san detected a hack in our program stemming from the Elevator you were in. How did you do that?"

I blinked and turned towards her. She seemed… genuinely interested on this specific matter. I don't really care, so I showed her the mini-PC. "I used this to hack your AI. I've isolated the system and created a program to override the master control."

She stretched her arms, asking to have a look at the mini PC. I gave it to her and she examined it carefully. "…where did you get this?"

"I don't have much to start with so I used the LCD screen and some servo box on the elevator." I caught something at the corner of my eye and realized it was Misato with her mouth opened aghast. She probably never imagined I can create a mini pc out of an LCD screen and a box of scraps.

The blue haired Wondergirl remains stoic however. "Well, it means technically this is the property of the Squad of the Japanese Branch. You know, I have to confiscate this."

I looked at her sternly and I can feel my lips turning into a smirk. "Seriously, that bad-evil-cunning-commander role doesn't suit you. If you want to re-cannibalize the AI I've created on that thing you can just tell me." I chuckled several times. "I'll give it to you. But in return for something."

She looked at me, her look asking me to go on.

"An Intel told me that another one of those Angellions was nearing completion somewhere in Europe. Give me one to pilot, and you can have that AI and do whatever you want with it."

Obviously she was rather surprised with my reply. It is understandable given that a few moments ago I staunchly refused to even fight.

"Why?"

"Why? Because I'm me. This is not about the planet. This is about me. My pride as a Souryuu Asuka Langley wouldn't settle for anything less."

She looked at me and then sighed. "Sub-Commander Katsuragi."

"Yes ma'am?"

"Draw the paperwork. Transfer her to our med-center in Munich in the next Grandliner, and then send word to Panzer-Bjorn Mobile division in Berlin." Misato nodded and then she left right away.

"Berlin?" I looked at her.

"Yes. I just got the word. The new Angelion was not nearing completion. It was already been completed a few days ago and right now is being stored in Berlin under the jurisdiction of the Panzer-Bjorn mobile division, a division specialized in battling Daemons in Yellow Zones. Areas in which constant conflict is abound."

"That'll be perfect for me." That would probably serve as a good distraction until I can get over a few things. The Wonder-Girl fought for a world loved by someone else. Kensuke continue fighting even beyond the grave. What do I fight for?

"Do you still hate him that much?"

I looked at her sternly. Hate Shinji? No. I didn't hate him. I just… can't stand him. Just looking at him in his weakened state and I felt my head is in complete chaos and I don't know what to think. Obviously I can't tell the Wonder Girl that. "I have to go." I started. "My pride took a hell lot of beating today. A lot of things happened. If I don't go I might have as well lose myself. If I lose myself what's the point of me living when I'm not me anymore?"

"Cogito Ergo Sum?"

I think therefore I exist. Yes. That was a very well put. I think, no I believe I'm Souryuu Asuka Langley, the Second Child, trained to fight in an Eva against Angel. I fight for myself, and I survived for myself. This is the me that I believe in, and thus this is my existence. And so I replied back to her, echoing her words.

"Cogito Ergo Sum."

For the first time in my life, I feel like I can see her eye to eye.

**000000000000**

Later that evening, after the Grandliner had already left with Asuka to Munich…

Rei finally get herself a proper medical attention. She was in a familiar sight where most of her body parts are bandaged. And yet, despite all that, much to the protest of the doctors, she was standing on the elevator with Misato next to her, descending to a certain level.

As they went past the Spear which is still under construction, Rei began to issue some instruction.

"Recall the Bane from Osaka. The Rook will took some time until it finished repair. And the Spear is already entering a crucial stage I its construction."

"Those two generals from the UN will have a fit when they saw the repair bill. Fuyutsuki-san will get a mouthful."

"In any case, I do have to make some more repair and modification to the Rook to keep up. 3 minutes in between firing is still too long… no… the fact that it have to wait until the next shot is already a great disadvantage. We'll get to this later. In any rate we need to accelerate the development on the Spear."

"That system you're working on. Are you sure it's a good idea to put it inside the Spear?"

"It's precisely because it's the Spear that the system can only go there. And I think Asuka's expanded knowledge had provided us with another piece of the missing puzzle." Rei looked at the Mini PC containing SIERRA base program and gave it to Misato. It was then Rei realized her Sub-Commander was staring at her in pure shock.

"Something wrong?"

"…you called her Asuka."

"So?" The blue haired girl replied monotonously as if it wasn't such a big occasion.

"W…Y…B… you usually called her Second."

"I'm just trying to be polite. That is her name, yes?" Still the same monotonous voice.

"B…T… Yes." Misato groaned. 'When the hell did they make up, these two girls…?'

They arrived at the Angellion Graveyard and R&D center. The elevator door slide open and Misato swung the Mini PC in her hand. "Yo, Lab-Rats! This is no longer a budget meeting. We're Re-opening project Tsubasa. For starters, meet SIERRA: A **S**tupendously **I**ntelligent and **E**xtensive **R**emodel of our ridiculously **R**etarded **A**I."

**000000000000**

A few months later, somewhere in the snowy plains of what was once Siberia…

I let the LCL filled the whole cockpit. My human hand grasped the controller while I let my new mechanical hand afloat. Cables and wires plugged into my right arm and my left eye flashes from digital green to bright red. I took a deep breath inside the LCL and pushed the controller and entered the fray.

"In the end, Pride is always everything for you isn't it?"

I can't believe I'm used to her presence already. Even more surprising is that I've learned to tolerate her existence. Perhaps it's my curse or my punishment that I have to bring her along forever.

"You said it yourself." I grinned. "Pride has its uses."

I am Souryuu Asuka Langley.

I was the pilot of Eva-02.

Now I'm the pilot of an Angellion.

And this is my pride that made me what I am.

**000000000000**

**000000000000**

**000000000000**

This pet project confiscated my attention more than I thought.

Next will be Ayanami Rei's POV.


End file.
